EU law provides for the appointment of a representative for unaccompanied children applying for international protection and a guardian for children granted international protection. To facilitate reading, this tool refers to the term guardian for both figures. Guardians should be qualified and equipped to deal with the wide variety of laws and procedures that regulate asylum, migration or other issues they may need to engage with.
This tool aims to support guardians as well as trained individuals temporarily acting as guardians assigned to children while they are in the screening phase and in the asylum procedure. It includes an overview of the screening and of the asylum procedure with a specific focus on children, the guarantees in the asylum procedure and your role as a guardian in the different phases of the asylum process.
There is also a section on what to do if something unexpected may happen, or if the age of the applicant is disputed. The tool contains boxes with practical tips for guardians and further reading materials.