This document provides an overview of the implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan on Protecting Refugee and Migrant Children in Europe (2017–2019) and aims to assist the Committee of Ministers’ Deputies and European policy-makers in their debate on the possible way forward and on future actions to be implemented in this field.

The Action Plan and its streamlining method enabled the development of cost-effective projects, aimed at contributing to the work carried on with migrant children and at reporting examples of successful thematic co-operation with international partners. Furthermore, the document reflects on the relevant judgments of the European Court of Human Rights delivered in the 2017-2019 timeframe, as well as on the recent cases dealt with by the Court in this field, mainly concerning major issues such as reception conditions, effective guardianship, age assessment, detention of children, procedural safeguards and alternatives to immigration detention. These developments suggest that the Council of Europe should continue to support member states in enhancing their migration-management policies, with a critical focus on its effects and impact on children.