Vigilance regarding juvenile delinquency asks the operators of accommodation facilities for unaccompanied minors by letter to her office Deputy Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Sofia Vultepsi and specifically, the General Secretariat of Vulnerable Citizens and Institutional Protection which is under the office of the deputy minister. The reason for writing the letter was the general increase in juvenile delinquency in society recently. The ever-increasing cases of juvenile delinquency that come to light are shocking on the one hand with their frequency and on the other with the aggression and violence they manifest.

As stated in the letter that came to the disposal of APE-MBE and is signed by the Deputy Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Sofia Vultepsi and the general secretary of Vulnerable Citizens and Institutional Protection, Herakles Moscow, “it has been observed from practice in the field that the systematic and adequate framing of minors, the promotion of their participation in school education and integration actions act as a deterrent to delinquency and violence. The accommodation framework suitable for the needs of minors, as well as the institution of the guardianship, are the main components of a system for the protection of children who are deprived of parental care, and we invest in them as a State”.

At the same time, extensive reference is made to a series of measures for the planning and implementation of policies, procedures and actions that promote the rights, safety and healthy development of children on the part of the State: “Basic tools for dealing with delinquency, such as these provided for in the National Strategy for the Protection of Unaccompanied Minors and in the relevant institutional framework are a) the ongoing training and supervision of professionals who work with unaccompanied children, b) the observance of a Child Protection Policy, which includes, among other things, the process of managing potential incident of abuse or exploitation when the perpetrator or victim is a minor beneficiary, from the complaint to the authorities to the support of the victim and other children, c) the observance of a protocol for the actions followed in cases of crises, d) the support and networking of minors with services and activities that prevent marginalization and promote a sense of belonging,” the letter states.

In addition, the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum has developed an integrated institutional framework with laws, ministerial decisions and directives that regulate the commission, the framework for hosting and supporting unaccompanied minors and the immediate response mechanisms.

At the same time, as mentioned in the letter, to support the staff working in the accommodation structures for unaccompanied minors, the General Secretariat implements actions for the training of professionals, as well as educational actions provided to support the mental well-being of unaccompanied minors and workers with them. A typical example is the Supervision and Evaluation Unit of the General Secretariat which cooperates with the National Kapodistrian University of Athens for the organization of specialized educational circles and supervisory sessions.

In conclusion, the office of the Deputy Minister and the General Secretariat emphasize that “we must all be vigilant especially for those forms of delinquency that involve elements of violence, involve involvement in organized crime or are related to radicalization” and add: “Taking into account the above and drawing your attention to the observance of the rules and protocols for the support of minors and crisis management, as already pointed out to you in a previous notification, please inform the General Secretariat immediately in cases of juvenile delinquency and violence, as well as when there is a special cause for concern regarding the welfare of an unaccompanied minor.”