The target group of the program is unaccompanied minors (UAMs) nationals of third countries, as well as young adults - former unaccompanied minors. At the core of the program's activities are advocacy actions and legal representation of the beneficiaries in Courts for issues related to their legal stay in the country.
More specifically, the main object of the program is to identify legislative gaps regarding child protection or practices that are not compatible with the rights of children and young nationals of third countries. ARSIS Advocacy team’s aim is to highlight the relevant issues and resolve them, as well as to create networks with other Civil Society Organisations, in order to achieve the intended purpose.
A typical case of the Advocacy group's action is the highlighting of the lack of a special residence permit for unaccompanied minors and young adults, who came to Greece as unaccompanied children due to the vulnerability associated with their age.
From May 2022, ARSIS in collaboration with other civil society organizations, established the Child Rights Advocacy Network (CRAN), claimed the granting of a residence permit to all unaccompanied children who are in Greece, as well as to those of them, who have already reached adulthood. Our above efforts were successful, as with the Law 5038/2023, for the first time, unaccompanied children, who reach adulthood are now given the opportunity to obtain a residence permit for ten years under conditions.
An important part of the program concerns also the legal representation of unaccompanied children, even after they reach adulthood, before the Courts in cases related to their request for International Protection and their legal stay in the country. From January 2022 until today, more than thirty-one (31) children and young adults have been represented in the Administrative Courts for the annulment of decisions to return to their country of origin. Thirty (30) of them have already received their asylum card back and are legally residing in the country, pending the issuance of a final decision on the annulment application.