Study: ´Transition of unaccompanied minors to adulthood´

EMN study into policy and programmes in EU Member States (and Norway) that aim to support unaccompanied minors in their transition to adulthood.

Aim and scope

The aim of the EMN inform is to map the measures, structures and systems in place in the EU Member States and Norway to provide transitional support to unac­companied minors after reaching the age of majority. It explores the situation of unaccompanied minors reaching adulthood who have been granted a residence permit, have been issued a return decision or who are still in a status determination procedure as they turn 18.

When unaccompanied minors transition to adulthood, they face a double transition: from childhood to adulthood and, possibly, a change in their status. Therefore, the latter could impact different ways on the extent to which they can access education, housing, employment, servic­es, and support.

EU Member States have measures in place to support unaccompanied minors in the transition to adulthood. Yet previous European research and the European Commission's communication on children in the migration domain show that existing policy has shortcomings.

Research questions

• At what age do unaccompanied minors reach adulthood?
• What happens to the legal status of unaccompanied minors reaching adulthood who have a status linked to their minority or who are in a status determination procedure?
• What happens to unaccompanied minors who had been issued with a return decision before they became adults?
• Are there any statistics available on the number of unaccompanied minors who transitioned to adulthood?
• Are there any national strategies in place to support the transition to adulthood of unaccompanied minors?
• Are support and services provided to unaccompanied minors once they reach adulthood?
• Which stakeholders and/or organisation are involved in the delivery of support and services for the transition to adulthood, and which support and services do they provide?
• What are the key challenges that are faced by your country in providing support and services for the transition to adulthood of unaccompanied minors? And, what are good practices?

Publication EMN: ´The transition of unaccompanied minors to adulthood´

• EMN Inform (summary of EMN study), 19 January 2023

Publication EMN Netherlands

• News article EMN Netherlands with summary: 'Unaccompanied minors in Europe may lose residence permit when transitioning into adulthood', 19 January 2023