Over 30,000 minors have been assigned tutors under Belgium's Guardianship Service, the Ministry of Justice said on Friday at a ceremony marking the service's 20th anniversary, held at the Flagey cultural centre in Brussels.
Today, the service supports over 700 tutors with a team of four people, the ministry said in a press release. Originally, it had 13 staff members and 20 tutors.
The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 1997 European Council Resolution on the Rights of the Child urge countries to establish special protection systems for unaccompanied minors. In Belgium, the Guardianship Act led to the creation of the service in 2004.
“In 2022, a significant number of unaccompanied minors arrived in Belgium, mainly from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria, and Morocco," the Justice Ministry recalled.
"The Guardianship Service opened a waiting list for those awaiting a tutor. Thanks to many new tutors and additional commitments from existing ones, this waiting list was practically cleared by 2024.”
The Ministry highlighted the crucial role played by tutors. “With their expertise and experience, tutors can often provide valuable solutions," it noted. "They know the minor well and are therefore an important link in the assistance chain.”
The Guardianship Service organised Friday's event to highlight the tutors' essential role and to thank them.
The programme included panel discussions, speeches, contributions, and testimonies from unaccompanied minors.
