By Motaz Amer
On the occasion of World Refugee Day this year, I joined a powerful collective of youth leaders, policy experts and civil society partners at the Council of Europe’s seminar “Supporting Young Refugees: The Next Chapter” in Strasbourg.
This seminar marked a critical milestone, five years since the adoption of Recommendation CM/Rec(2019)4, a landmark document designed to guide how we support young refugees during their transition to adulthood and make sure they do not fall through the cracks when they turn 18. But, beyond policies and frameworks, this gathering became something more: it became a space of recognition, resistance and radical hope.
Recognising the Gaps
Young refugees are not just navigating borders they are navigating systems that often fail to recognise them as full actors in society. Education, housing, legal status and mental health support continue to be deeply fragmented, especially during the transition from child protection systems to adult life and the support they lose in between.
The preliminary findings of the Recommendation’s review shared by Mary Drosopoulos laid bare the inconsistencies in implementation. Some countries have embedded youth-led, rights-based approaches. Others have struggled to meet even the baseline of care.
Lived Experience at the Centre
One of the most inspiring aspects of the seminar was its genuine commitment to youth participation. Partners like Voicify, Voices of Young Refugees in Europe, and Youth Social Rights Network did not just sit at the table, they shaped the agenda. Their voices reminded all of us that policy cannot be built for young refugees without being built with them.
I shared my work on community-based solutions, co-designed programmes, and contributed to discussions on justice. It was clear that youth-led organisations like ours are not optional partners, they are essential drivers of progress.
From Reflection to Action (2025–2030)
Together, we developed a shared vision for the next five years, one rooted in accountability, implementation and impact.
Key proposals include:
- Establishing concrete accountability frameworks to monitor how the Recommendation is implemented across different national contexts, including timelines, benchmarks, and youth-led oversight.
- Actively disseminating success stories and promising practices among key stakeholders, the governments, NGOs, youth organisations, and local authorities to foster replication and scale.
- Engaging with non-EU member states, such as the UK and others in the Council of Europe space, to ensure they are both informed about and involved in applying the Recommendation effectively.
- Creating inclusive, transnational platforms where refugee-led initiatives can collaborate and receive funding to drive innovation in support systems.
At Young European Movement, we will do our best to integrate these insights and principles into our next phase of work and our projects from now on. This is not just about setting goals, it is about making them measurable, shared and sustainable.
Marking World Refugee Day: A Collective Commitment
As we gathered on June 20th to wrap up the seminar and later to attend the closure of the refugee week organised by Strasbourg city council, we did more than commemorate. We committed to each other, to our communities, and to the vision of a Europe where no young person is left behind because of their immigration status.
The seminar reinforced what we already knew, that change happens when institutions make space and when youth step in with courage, clarity, and community. As our Head of Diversity & Inclusion and as someone who has walked the path of displacement myself, I left Strasbourg with renewed hope and purpose.
Together, we are writing the next chapter. Let us make it one of dignity, justice and opportunity.
About the Author
Motaz Amer is originally from Yemen and he is currently based in Scotland. He is a national award-winning human rights campaigner and independent researcher, with a focus on refugee and migration rights, as well as young people’s rights. Over the past few years, he has collaborated with more than 20 national organisations, from Amnesty International to the Home Office, and spoken at over 60 national and international events on human rights, inclusion, and youth leadership. He is excited to join the Executive Board as Head of Diversity & Inclusion and looks forward to helping shape a more inclusive, representative and impactful youth movement across Europe.
Email: diversity@yem.org.uk