CESI Youth meets in Strasbourg to propose Vice Youth Representative and adopt new position on youth migration

The CESI Youth decided to propose Sophie Hellmayr from CESI’s Austrian member organisation GÖD to head the CESI Youth as Vice Youth Representative together with CESI Youth Representative Matthäus Fandrejewski from CESI’s German affiliate dbb. So far, the CESI Youth has not had a Vice Youth Representative and has been run, with support from the CESI General Secretariat, by Matthäus alone. The nomination of Sophie Hellmayr still has to be approved of by the competent CESI organs.

The CESI Youth also discussed on draft statutes. Founded in 2013 with a mandate from the CESI leadership, the CESI Youth still has to be given its own statutes. They are planned to be adopted by the CESI Youth and CESI’s decision-making organs in late 2016 or 2017.

In terms of policies, the CESI Youth discussed and adopted a draft position paper entitled ‘For the successful reception and integration of young migrants’, which puts a focus the role of the public sector and its employees in the effective management of youth migration. Core propositions and demands brought forward in the paper include following:

• Integration in the education systems is fundamental to acquire the capacities to integrate into the labour market. The possibility of accessing training in the migrants’ host countries therefore plays a decisive role in this context, especially for young migrants.
• The delicate situation during the transition to adulthood when turning 18 and, therefore, losing special support entitled to minors, has to be well planned for young refugees in order to avoid disorientation and a complete loss of autonomy.
• Formal education should be a space where social ideas and values are taught, and where young people first receive a solid human rights education. This would foster a positive image of cultural diversity.
• Allocating special support to the search of family members of unaccompanied minor and young migrants is vital to safeguard minors and their fundamental rights.

The paper, which is a CESI Youth position and does not necessarily reflect the position of CESI, will be made available in the policy positions section of CESI’s website.