EU countries warned of 'lost generation' of young refugees

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50472402

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Europe is in danger of creating a "lost generation" of young refugees who have fled war and persecution in their countries, the EU's rights agency says.

The Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said it had identified serious challenges in integrating people aged between 16 and 24 across the EU.

It has urged member states to speed up asylum procedures, simplify family reunification and provide more housing.

From 2015 to 2018, almost two million people received protection in the EU.

Based on interviews with refugees and frontline staff in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Sweden, the FRA released a report on Tuesday highlighting "serious obstacles" for young people seeking asylum across the bloc.

It has called on countries to implement "smart investments" to help encourage successful integration.

"This report aims to contribute to reflection on how to achieve this, thus making sure that a whole generation will not be lost," it reads.

Among the issues raised was that young people were being made homeless and forced to live on the streets in some cases while their asylum applications were dealt with - a process that could take months.

An improvement on the provision of mental healthcare for traumatised young refugees was also needed, the FRA said, adding that providing young people with education services was fundamental.

The FRA urges EU countries to tackle these issues, reporting the following:

The FRA report has also highlighted some good local policy initiatives and calls on EU states to learn from each other and give young refugees an adequate chance in life.

Among the initiatives mentioned by the FRA are:

More than two-and-a-half million people applied for international protection in the EU between 2015 and 2016, according to the European statistics agency, Eurostat.

The number of those applying for asylum has decreased since then, with the latest figures for 2018 totalling almost 650,000.

Most of those seeking asylum came from countries in the Middle East, Africa or South Asia.

Many reached Germany, Sweden, France and Austria, while others remained in their first countries of arrival, Italy and Greece.