Urios Utrecht Model United Nations United Nations Human Rights Council. Studyguide

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1 United Nations Human Rights Council Studyguide

2 Table of content Introducing the Chairs 3 Introduction to the UN Human Right Council 3 Historical Background: Protection of Unaccompanied Refugee Children Introduction Defining the Unaccompanied Refugee Child Background - Facts and Figures Reasons behind Migration Situation in Europe Situation in Syria Situation in Afghanistan Situation in Iraq Legal Migration Safety risks for unaccompanied refugee children Official Documents... 8 Historical Background: The Role of Free Press in Promoting Good Governance Concept of Good Governance Free Press as Promoter of Good Governance Free Press as protector of Human Rights Role of UNHRC in promoting Free Press References 13

3 Introducing the Chairs Mudassar Nazar is a senior undergraduate law student at Muslim Law College (University of the Punjab). He participated in Model United Nations Conferences and debating competitions both at national and international level. He also organized many events during his academic career including musical concerts, debating competitions, welcome and farewell parties. Besides, he likes reading, cliff diving and paragliding. Mureille van der Meulen is a master s student at Utrecht University for Public International Law and International Development Studies program. She works as an intern in Children s Rights & Migration Team at Defence for Children ECPAT, the Netherlands. She previously participated in MUNs at delegate level. URUMUN 2016 will be the first time she will be a Co- Chair. Next to her active study (related) life Mureille likes to dance salsa, travel and photograph. Introduction to the UN Human Right Council The Human Rights Council is an inter- governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe and for addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. 1 The UNHRC was created in 2006 by the General assembly. This council consists of 47 United Nations member states. 1

4 Historical Background: Protection of Unaccompanied Refugee Children 1.1 Introduction Due to ongoing armed conflicts, civil war and repression in several countries in the Middle- East and Eastern Africa, the number of people seeking international protection elsewhere has risen dramatically over the past years. According to UNHCR, more than 60 million people worldwide are refugees. Half of them are children. Refugee children, and children on the move in general, have always been at increased risk of violation of their rights. These children are a particularly vulnerable group and at risk of violence, abuse, exploitation, trauma and even death. They need specific protection measures, something all countries (except United States of America) have agreed to by ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The increased number of refugees entering Europe has worsened their situation, as services in many countries are overstretched. During 2015, 88,300 asylum seekers who applied for international protection in the Member States of the European Union (EU) were considered to be unaccompanied refugee children. While their number always stood between 11,000 and 13,000 in the EU over the period , it almost doubled in 2014 to reach slightly more than 23,000 persons, then nearly quadrupled in At the same time experience has shown that the treatment they receive upon and after arrival is, at best, still not adequate and, at worst, potentially damaging. The way in which these children are treated upon arriving requires special attention in terms of protection and care, particularly in the present environment of restrictive asylum and immigration practices. 1.2 Defining the Unaccompanied Refugee Child Unaccompanied refugee children are under 18 years of age who are outside their country of origin and separated from their parents, or their previous legal/customary primary caregiver. Some children are totally alone while others may be living with extended family members. 1.3 Background - Facts and Figures According to UNHCR there were about 60 million refugees in the world at the end of 2014, 50% of whom were children. Most of the refugees, 38 million, are internally displaced people, seeking protection in another part of their home country. 20 million seek international protection, mostly in countries neighbouring their own. Developing countries are host to over 86% of the world s refugees. Turkey is the country hosting the greatest number of refugees, about 2 million, most of whom are Syrian refugees. 2 In Syria, 13.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance and 6.5 million people are internally displaced. In November 2015, 4.3 million Syrians had been registered and were awaiting 2 Information from UNHCR.

5 registration in neighbouring countries Turkey (2.2 million), Lebanon (1 million), Jordan (630,000), Iraq (245,000) and Egypt & North Africa (128,000) Reasons behind Migration Unaccompanied refugee children may be seeking asylum because of fear of persecution or the lack of protection due to human rights violations, armed conflict or disturbances in their own country. They may be the victims of trafficking for sexual or other exploitation, or they may have travelled to a different country to escape conditions of serious deprivation. 1.5 Situation in Europe In Europe there is a huge lack of reliable data regarding the number of migrants (refugees and irregular migrants) entering Europe as a whole as well as the European Union. This is a particular concern regarding children, and specifically unaccompanied children 4. This was raised already in 2010 by the European Commission in its Action Plan on Unaccompanied Minors. 5 Below is a compilation of the official data available. Eurostat receives information from the Member States, but these are not always comprehensive and disaggregated on age, gender, country of origin etc. According to UNICEF and UNHCR, some countries do not register unaccompanied children as unaccompanied. 6 The number of children applying for asylum in the EU has increased very much in 2015 compared to In % of the asylum seekers were below the age of 18, in 2015 this has increased to 29% 7. According to Eurostat there were a total of 562,680 first time asylum applicants in Out of these, 144,550 were children 9 (approx. 26% of all), 23,150 of whom were unaccompanied. 10 In its third quarterly report for 2015, Eurostat states that the number of first time asylum applicants had 3 ECHO fact sheet Syria Crisis, November Acaps and Mapaction situation analysis Transit Country Migrant Crisis December mlvkahxf- A4KHSk5AzwQFggjMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdata.unhcr.org%2Fmediterranean%2Fdownload.php%3Fid%3D3 43&usg=AFQjCNEG1LavkA6FT- KsbpYeKgaHIf- JiA 5 COM (2010)213 Final Action Plan on Unaccompanied Minors ( ). 6 IOM and UNICEF Data Brief: Migration of Children to Europe 30 November UNICEF- Data- Brief- Refugee- and- Migrant- Crisis- in- Europe pdf?utm_content=buffer32a66&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buf fer 7 On January 19, data was still lacking for several states for November and December, including for Sweden (December only) which receives the highest number of unaccompanied children in the EU. 8 Table Asylum and first time asylum applicants by citizenship, age and sex Annual aggregated data (rounded) (migr_asyappctza) Asylum_ applicant. and- managed- migration/data/database 9 Ibid. 10 Table Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex Annual data (rounded) (migr_asyunaa).

6 increased with 150% compared with the third quarter of 2014 and almost doubled compared with the second quarter of In 2015, according to the data available in January 2016, 1,248,365 people had applied for asylum in the EU Member States, 363,890 of whom were children, i.e. 29% of all asylum seekers. 12 In the third quarter of 2015, asylum applicants to the EU Member States originated from 149 countries. The main countries of origin were Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. 13 The main countries of destination in the third quarter were Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Italy and Austria overall, these five countries received 75% of all first- time asylum applicants Situation in Syria Five years of conflict have taken a heavy toll on children. An estimated 8.4 million children - more than 80 percent of Syria s child population are affected, either inside the country or as refugees in neighbouring countries. As many as 3.7 million Syrian children were born since the conflict started five years ago, their lives shaped by violence, fear and displacement. Children as young as seven are recruited by armed forces and groups. More than 15,500 unaccompanied and separated children have crossed Syria s borders. UNICEF estimates that more than 2.1 million children inside Syria, and 700,000 in neighbouring countries, are out- of- school Situation in Afghanistan Some 35 years of protracted conflict, combined with natural disasters, have severely affected the survival and livelihood of Afghans, particularly children and women. More than 8 million people are estimated to be affected by the conflict, including 4.6 million children. In 2015, more than 2,800 children were killed or injured in the violence about a quarter of all civilian casualties. Children were also being recruited, mainly by armed groups, but also by the police and the army. Many children in areas not controlled by the government lack access to basic health services, while treatment coverage for chronic malnutrition is only 30 per cent. 1.8 Situation in Iraq Years of violence and conflict have left about 10 million Iraqis a third of the total population in need of humanitarian assistance. Over half of them are children. Nearly 3.2 million people are 11 Eurostat Asylum Quarterly Report 2015, viewed on 20 December explained/index.php/asylum_quarterly_report 12 Table Asylum and first time asylum applicants by citizenship, age and sex Monthly data (rounded) first time applicants, numbers checked on 19 January for December major countries of destination such as Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden are not included, as well as many other states. Several states are also missing in the information for November. and- managed- migration/data/database 13 Eurostat Asylum Quarterly Report 2015 viewed on 20 December explained/index.php/asylum_quarterly_report 14 Ibid. 15

7 internally displaced, and many need shelter, food, fuel, medical services and access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities. As violence continues to escalate in the country, there have been reports of mass executions, gender- based violence including rape and torture, and use of children as human shields. 1.9 Legal Migration The possibilities of entering a receiving State legally for migrants, including children, are limited due to visa requirements and the sanctions for carriers. The main possibility for children from a third country to legally enter a receiving State is through family reunification. For example, in the EU they have the EU directive on family reunification which makes it possible for non- EU nationals, including refugees, to reunite with family members residing in EU Member States. 16 Until now, family reunification has been the main legal route to the EU for children 208,515 children were given residency permits on this ground 17. To stem the influx of refugees many States have now declared that they will restrict the possibilities of family reunification. Another possibility for refugees to enter a country legally is through resettlement, where displaced individuals in clear need of international protection, are transferred to a safe country on submission of UNHCR. Humanitarian visas are another legal entry channel Safety risks for unaccompanied refugee children Due to the limited possibilities to enter a country legally, children seeking international protection make use of irregular routes, which subjects them to a number of safety risks. Aside from this there is also still a widespread denial of their rights as set out in the UNCRC. Many unaccompanied refugee children are detained, some are returned to their country of origin without due consideration of whether this is a durable solution in the best interest of the child. Procedures for assessing age are not child centred and no methods provide scientific certainty, service provisions are often inadequate and substandard to that offered to citizen children. Asylum determination procedures are most often not child focused and in effect unaccompanied refugee children are subjected to adult procedures. Some children, particularly those who are forced to enter a country illegally or who are victims of trafficking, are treated as criminals and often the best interests of children are usually subjected to the requirements of immigration control. Unaccompanied refugee children are rarely consulted and their voice is seldom heard. Illness and death The main risk for children travelling to Europe to seek international protection is the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean. UNHCR estimates that in ,771 people died or went missing 16 Council Directive 2003/86/EC on the right to family reunification. 17 Table First permits issued for family reasons by reason, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resfam) viewed on 20 December and- managed- migration/data/database

8 during a sea crossing to Europe. 18 According to IOM, more than 30% of all deaths in the Aegean Sea were children. 19 Separation from family Along the route, there have been numerous instances of children being separated from their parents. Many of the separations have occurred in chaotic situations at or just across borders. Trafficking Many different actors have highlighted trafficking over the past years as a significant risk for children in general and unaccompanied children in particular while travelling. Trafficking can occur for various exploitative reasons, sexual exploitation is the most common form of trafficking in Europe. Girls are also particularly vulnerable to falling victim to traffickers, which is one of the reasons why there are fewer girls than boys entering Europe unaccompanied. Most cases are not reported, meaning police records do not reflect reality. Children arriving in a receiving country accompanied by family also fall prey to traffickers sometimes the adults claiming guardianship of the child do not have a family link, but are in fact the trafficker. Sometimes children are being trafficked by an extended family member they are travelling with. Children who are separated from their family and route are at a greater risk of falling victims to traffickers. Other risks which unaccompanied refugee children are likely to face include: Poor accommodation in reception and transit centres Extortion by smugglers Sexual exploitation and sexual abuse Rejection or avoidance of protection Age assessment Detention Provision of basic needs: Housing Provision of basic needs: Nutrition and clothing Access to health services and services for children with disabilities Access to and quality of education The right to information and the right to be heard Missing children Guardianship 1.11 Official Documents Unaccompanied refugee children are entitled to international protection under a broad range of international and regional instruments, most notably the 1989 Convention of the Rights of the Child, further elaborated in General Comment No.14 and General Comments No. 6, the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and the Hague Conventions for the Protection of Children IOM and UNICEF Data Brief: Migration of Children to Europe, 30 November 2015.

9 Historical Background: The Role of Free Press in Promoting Good Governance 1.12 Concept of Good Governance United Nations Human Rights Council in its Resolution 2000/64 (as United Nations Commission on Human Rights which it was formerly known as) identified the key elements of good governance. The resolution highlighted these elements as involving: transparency, responsibility, accountability, participation and responsiveness (to people s needs). 20 The Resolution 2000/64 also highlighted good governance as essential to the protection of human rights and necessary for prompting growth and sustainable human development. 21 Human rights cannot be protected and respected in the absence of good governance. It is because good governance provides enabling environment for the protection of human rights. This includes the provision of requisite legislation, institutional framework and administrative processes which respond to the needs and rights of the population. 22 The Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (hereafter OHCHR), which works closely with United Nations Human Rights Council, identified four elements as essential for good governance. These include democratic institutions, rule of law, delivery of service to public by administrative units and anti- corruption measures. 23 From the perspective of human rights, good governance can be associated with rights and principles outlined in international legal frameworks on human rights such as Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Good governance in the context of Universal Declaration of Human Rights is regarded as participatory government (Article 21) and a type of governance whereby the freedoms and rights of people can be realized in accordance with the Declaration (Article 28). International Covenant on Civil and Political rights and International covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights employed specific language about the role and duties of governments with respect to protecting human rights. Article 2 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights outline the particular duty of state as: Each State Party to the present Covenant undertakes to respect and to ensure to all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction the rights recognized in the present Covenant, 20 Commission on Human Rights Resolution 2000/64: The Role of Good Governance in the Promotion of Human Rights. < CN_4- RES doc> Accessed 1 Oct ibid 22 Smith, K. (2007) International human rights, New York: Oxford University Press 23 OHCHR (2016): Good Governance and Human Rights. < Accessed 2 Oct 2016

10 without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. 24 The Article also makes it obligatory on the member states to afford effective remedy to those individuals whose rights are being violated even if the violation stemmed from any conduct on part of officials of the state. 25 The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the other hand also makes it obligatory on the signatory states to take such measures as are necessary for the enforcement of rights enunciated in the Covenant. It prohibits discrimination of any kind in the enjoyment of such rights Free Press as Promoter of Good Governance Free Press is essential to the protection and promotion of freedom of expression, thought and conscience. It strengthens the accountability and responsiveness of the governments to citizens. It offers a pluralist platform for expressing views independent of any coercion. Freedom of expression is recognized as basic human right in various charters of human rights internationally e.g. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), American Convention on Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights, European Convention on Human Rights, and African Charter on Human & People s Rights. 27 Article 18 of International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights declares that everyone has the right to freedom of expression. The article states: Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regard less of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice. 28 Article 14 of the Convention stipulates the exclusion of Press from trials on the basis of public interest, morality and national security in a democratic state. 29 This shows that free press is a cornerstone of strengthening democracy in a democratic state. 24 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 19 December 1966 < i english.pdf> Accessed 3 Oct ibid 26 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 < Accessed 4 Oct Norris, Pipa (2008): The Role of Free Press in Promoting Democratization, Good Governance and Human Development in Section 2 of Media Matters: Perspectives on Advancing Governance and Development, ed. M. Harvey, Global Forum for Media Development, Internews Europe, pp International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 19 December 1966 < i english.pdf> Accessed 3 Oct ibid

11 The idea behind free press is to reduce censorship of expression and reduce governmental control over information. This enables the public to hold the government accountable through journalistic means. The journalists of independent newspapers and media houses facilitate accountability and transparency of governance. Their role becomes like that of a watch- dog and provide forum to generate and display public opinion. 30 Free press can also be regarded as a demarcation between democratic and authoritarian regimes. The former enables the freedom of press whereas latter tightens control over content of press. Authoritarian regimes are known for removing the content from press which question their policies. Moreover, authoritarian regimes are also known for reviewing the information before it is being released to masses. Such coercive measures confront public s ability to hold government accountable and restrict the flow of information in the society. 31 Free press compliments the idea of good governance by effectuating freedom of expression, highlighting the response of masses and act as a journalistic means of holding the government accountable. By highlighting the say of masses a free press not only realizes freedom of expression but also becomes the source of assessment against government s performance. Moreover, due to least (if any) interruption from government, the free press can give coverage to a wide array of topics making it possible for the government to identify the gaps in governance. Therefore, free press is crucial to the idea of good governance. 32 Due to independence from ownership by state, free press is independent of any influence from the government officials. This enables it to give maximum coverage to the response of masses. Such a press then becomes the independent source of public assessment of officials conduct. This is then helpful in identifying the gaps in governance. This compels the officials to improve the governance. Therefore, free press has become a source for people to express their opinion freely on any subject matter. Without free press it would be difficult to give effect to freedom of expression and achieve good governance Free Press as protector of Human Rights Since good governance involves the protection of human rights and free press is essential to promoting good governance, therefore, free press is also inextricably linked to protection of human rights. Free press is crucial to mobilizing NGOs working on human rights, dispense human rights related information, strengthen democratic values and promote tolerance in the society. 33 The human rights NGOs and Free press assist each other in fight against violations of human rights. Such 30 Goran Hyden, Michael Leslie and Folu F. Ogundimu. Eds Media and Democracy in Africa. Uppsala: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet. 31 Voltmer, Katrin (2013): The Media in Transitional Democracies. Wiley & Sons ltd 32 Rosenberry, J. and B. St. John III (Eds) (2010) Public journalism: the promise and reality of a citizen engaged press, New York: Routledge 33 Apodaca, C. (2007) The whole world could be watching: Human rights and the media, Journal of Human rights, 6:

12 NGOs serve as monitors of human rights violations whereas free press serves as dispensary of information in this regard holding governments accountable by raising questions on violations. 34 In modern times the concept of free press not only includes professional journalists but also citizens. 35 The access to internet has made every citizen a potential reporter. 36 Free press promotes critical thinking, active learning, transparency and accountability which is essential to promoting human rights and strengthening good governance. 37 It is widely accepted that good governance and human rights are mutually related and supportive of each other. 38 Free press is important element with respect to good governance and human rights because free press serves as a platform for accelerating public opinion to hold government accountable for its breaches of human rights. It serves as the platform whereby public can raise its voice against the human rights violations Role of UNHRC in promoting Free Press Recognizing the importance of free press in promoting human rights and strengthening good governance, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution on 27 th September 2012 highlighting the safety of journalists as a fundamental factor of freedom of expression. 40 The resolution called on the member states to promote a safe and enabling environment for journalists to perform their work independently and to ensure accountability through impartial, speedy and effective investigations into violent acts against journalists. 41 The resolution also called on the member states to ensure safe atmosphere for journalists by introducing legislative measures in this regard and mass awareness campaigns. The resolution also called on the member states to respect the freedom of expression as their international human rights related obligation. 42 The Human Rights Council is also contributing towards ensuring the freedom of press through its Universal Periodic Review. The review involves reviewing the record of human rights in all member states of United Nations every four years. It requires the states to declare before Human Rights Council the measures they have taken to enhance the situation of human rights in the country to fulfil their international human rights obligations. The process of review involves the report submitted by the member states in accordance with Human Rights Council Resolution 5/1 (2007) and also a separate and independent report by the 34 Burton, G. (2005) Media and society: Critical perspectives, 2nd ed. Berkshire: Open University Press 35 Heagreves, I. (2005) Journalism: A very short introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press 36 Elliot, D. (2009) Essential shared values and the 21st century journalism, in Wilkins, L. Christians, G. (eds) The handbook of mass media ethics, New York: Routledge 37 Burns, L. (2002) Understanding Journalism, London: Sage Publications 38 Freeman, M. (2002) Human rights, Cambridge: Polity Press 39 Whitten- Woodring, J. (2009) Watchdog or lapdog? Media freedom, regime type, and government respect for human rights, International Studies Quarterly 53, Resolution on the Safety of Journalists adopted at the 21st session of the UN Human Rights Council on 27 September The Human Rights Council. < _as_adopted_on_27_sept_2012.pdf> Accessed 8 Oct ibid 42 ibid

13 Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR). The Human Rights Council has also called on member states to address the issue of safety of journalists through Universal Periodic Review. 43 Therefore, the states now have obligation to include the measures taken towards safety of journalists in their report towards Universal Periodic Review. This is the recent chief step taken by the Human Rights Council in strengthening the idea of free press. References 43 Resolution on the Safety of Journalists adopted at the 27 th session of the UN Human Rights Council on 19 September The Human Rights Council. < Resolution- Draft-.pdf> Accessed 9 Oct 2016

14 Apodaca, C. (2007): The whole world could be watching: Human rights and the media. Journal of Human rights, 6: Acaps and Mapaction situation analysis Transit Country Migrant Crisis December EwiK4s6VmLvKAhXF- A4KHSk5AzwQFggjMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdata.unhcr.org%2Fmediterranean%2Fdownload.php% 3Fid%3D343&usg=AFQjCNEG1LavkA6FT- KsbpYeKgaHIf- JiA Burton, G. (2005): Media and society, Critical perspectives. Berkshire: Open University Press Burns, L. (2002): Understanding Journalism. London: Sage Publications Commission on Human Rights Resolution 2000/64: The Role of Good Governance in the Promotion of Human Rights. < CN_4- RES doc> Accessed 1 Oct 2016 COM(2010)213 Final Action Plan on Unaccompanied Minors ( ) Council Directive 2003/86/EC on the right to family reunification Elliot, D. (2009): Essential shared values and the 21st century journalism, in Wilkins, L. Christians, G. (eds) The handbook of mass media ethics. New York: Routledge ECHO fact sheet Syria Crisis, November Eurostat Asylum Quarterly Report 2015 viewed on 20 December explained/index.php/asylum_quarterly_report Freeman, M (2002): Human rights. Cambridge: Polity Press Goran Hyden, Michael Leslie and Folu F. Ogundimu. (Eds) (2002): Media and Democracy in Africa. Uppsala: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet Heagreves, I. (2005): Journalism: A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press IOM and UNICEF Data Brief: Migration of Children to Europe 30 November UNICEF- Data- Brief- Refugee- and- Migrant- Crisis- in- Europe pdf?utm_content=buffer32a66&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_cam paign=buffer IOM and UNICEF Data Brief: Migration of Children to Europe, 30 November 2015 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 19 December 1966 < i english.pdf> Accessed 3 Oct 2016

15 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 < Accessed 4 Oct 2016 Norris, Pipa (2008): The Role of Free Press in Promoting Democratization, Good Governance and Human Development in Section 2 of Media Matters: Perspectives on Advancing Governance and Development, ed. M. Harvey, Global Forum for Media Development, Internews Europe, pp OHCHR (2016): Good Governance and Human Rights. < px> Accessed 2 Oct 2016 Rosenberry, J. and B. St. John III (Eds) (2010): Public journalism: the promise and reality of a citizen engaged press. New York: Routledge Resolution on the Safety of Journalists adopted at the 21st session of the UN Human Rights Council on 27 September The Human Rights Council. < _as_adopted_on_27_sept_2012.pdf> Accessed 8 Oct 2016 Smith, K. (2007) International human rights, New York: Oxford University Press Table Asylum and first time asylum applicants by citizenship, age and sex Annual aggregated data (rounded) (migr_asyappctza) Asylum_ applicant. and- managed- migration/data/database Table Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex Annual data (rounded) (migr_asyunaa). 1 Eurostat Asylum Quarterly Report 2015, viewed on 20 December explained/index.php/asylum_quarterly_report Table Asylum and first time asylum applicants by citizenship, age and sex Monthly data (rounded) first time applicants, numbers checked on 19 January for December major countries of destination such as Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden are not included, as well as many other states. Several states are also missing in the information for November. and- managed- migration/data/database Table First permits issued for family reasons by reason, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resfam) viewed on 20 December and- managed- migration/data/database Voltmer, Katrin (2013): The Media in Transitional Democracies. Wiley & Sons ltd Whitten- Woodring, J. (2009): Watchdog or lapdog? Media freedom, regime type, and government respect for human rights, International Studies Quarterly 53,

16 children- europe- programme.org/ y