Abstract

Migrant and refugee children constitute a vulnerable group facing severe risks. The Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has recently affirmed that children represent a quarter of identified victims of human trafficking on average in Europe for sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, forced marriage and, increasingly, forced criminality. The aim of this work is twofold. First, it will examine the main aspects of EU law and policy normative framework on the protection of migrant and refugee children against trafficking and exploitation. International obligations imposed upon the EU and its Member States by International Human Rights Law will be considered for the analysis. Second, it will reflect on the weaknesses of that framework and propose adequate reforms in the light of the upcoming Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.