EP calls for integration of child refugees into EU national education system

The European Parliament (EP) urged EU countries to help integrate child refugees into their national education systems in a resolution passed on Thursday, saying doing so could reduce the risk of young people becoming engaged in extremism.

Members of the EP (MEPs) called on countries hosting refugees "to ensure that refugee children are given full access to education, and to promote as far as possible their integration and inclusion in the national education systems."

They highlighted the fact that young people aged between 12 and 20 have very limited opportunities in refugee communities, while at the same time being primary targets for military service and other forms of engagement in armed conflict.

They also called on international donors to prioritize education when responding to refugee crises, through programs aimed at involving and psychologically supporting migrant children, as well as promoting learning the host country's language in order to ensure a higher level of integration.

The EP welcomed the European Commission's announcement of a new goal to increase the EU's humanitarian aid budget to 4 percent for child education in emergency situations by 2019. Endit