Vulnerable children

In France, more than 3 million children are living below the poverty line. Some 31,000 are homeless and 9,000 are living in slums. Among them are many unaccompanied minors living in extreme precarity.

Vulnerable children are a key issue for Médecins du Monde's programmes in France: 9% of the people seen in the Health, Advice and Referral Centres (CASOs) in 2020 were minors – 3% of them were under the age of five. 674 unaccompanied minors were seen within the context of purpose-designed programmes and at CASOs .

Similarly, a large number of those living in slums supported by our teams are families with children. MdM’s teams are also seeing an increasing number of families, single mothers and unaccompanied minors sleeping rough or living in squats.

UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

In 2019, among the 272 million displaced people worldwide, 33 million were children. Some of these children were alone, without their parents. Their reasons for leaving their home country are multiple and cumulative. They are fleeing conflict, violence or discrimination. Some are coming to join relatives in Europe. They are all seeking a better future.

Unaccompanied minors are at risk and must be protected without discrimination in accordance with child protection laws. Yet when they arrive in France, they are faced with rejection and suspicion. They are accused of lying about their identity, their age and what they have experienced. Based on rapid, subjective and ill-adapted social assessments, and despite being deprived of even the most basic protection measures, they find themselves excluded from any kind of care or intervention. While awaiting a court decision (which, for more than half of them, will recognise their status as minors at risk) they are left to their own devices, their only support provided by associations and citizens’ groups. At Médecins du Monde, we meet children who are destitute, lost and damaged by their life trajectory, their migratory path and the reception conditions in France. They are particularly fragile, overexposed to health risks and post-traumatic disorders. Our teams work with them, offering a sympathetic ear, access to healthcare and help with obtaining recognition of their rights.

The health crisis has not improved their situation, as the mechanisms for recognising their status as minors and entitlements have been severely disrupted.

MdM is calling for recognition of their status as children in danger and for all necessary measures to be taken to protect them and provide them with access to healthcare, education and a future.