By Motaz Amer | Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Young European Movement (YEM)
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 don’t 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 (VYRE) and Youth Social Rights Network didn’t 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 language 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 YEM, we’ll do our best to integrating these insights and principles into our next phase of work and projects from now on.
This isn’t just about setting goals, it’s 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.
Looking Ahead 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 YEM’s 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’s make it one of dignity, justice and opportunity.