ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Polit. Sci.
Sec. Comparative Governance
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpos.2025.1585607
This article is part of the Research TopicThe Politics of Crises - The Crisis of Politics in Central and Eastern EuropeView all 12 articles
Legal Protections for Children in Refugee and Migrant Crises in Central and Eastern Europe
Provisionally accepted
- Pan-European University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Children in refugee and migrant situations are among the most vulnerable groups in humanitarian crises. This article provides an in-depth legal analysis of protections for child refugees and migrants in Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, and Poland, with comparative references to other countries of the region. It examines the legal frameworksinternational, regional, and nationalthat establish children's rights and states' obligations and evaluates how these laws are harmonized and implemented in practice. Drawing on case law from European courts and national jurisprudence, as well as empirical data (including the situation of Ukrainian refugee children) and policy reports, the research highlights key legal principles such as the best interests of the child, the right to family reunification, access to education and healthcare, and the special protection owed to unaccompanied minors. The analysis identifies both successes and gaps in the protection of refugee and migrant children across the region: while legal standards exist (and were mobilized effectively in certain contexts, such as the Ukrainian refugee influx under the EU's Temporary Protection regime), challenges remain in consistent implementation and enforcement of these standards. Finally, the article offers policy recommendations aimed at strengthening legal frameworks and practices to ensure that the rights of children in migration crises are fully protected.
Keywords: Child refugees, Migration crisis, Central and Eastern Europe, International Law, children's rights, Best interests of the child, Education access, Family reunification
Received: 28 Feb 2025; Accepted: 28 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Garayova. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Lilla Garayova, Pan-European University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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