Paper details
| Paper authors | Federica Bellassai, Rossella Di Liberto, Italian Red Cross |
| In panel on | Reuniting Families, Upholding Rights: RFL between Policy, Practice, and Protection |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting |
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Abstract
ABSTRACT: This paper explores the phenomenon of family separation within the context of mixed migration across the Central Mediterranean, with a focus on the operational experience of the Italian Red Cross (CRI). Drawing on data collected up to June 2025, it highlights how risks of separation—particularly affecting children and other vulnerable individuals—often arise prior to arrival or during fragmented and chaotic journeys by sea.
While international and regional legal instruments enshrine the right to family life, their scope of application may not always reflect the complexity of family realities in migratory contexts. In this light, the paper underscores the role of humanitarian actors, and in particular the Restoring Family Links (RFL) services, as a key complement to institutional procedures.
Through early detection of family links, documentation, and support to tracing and reunification, RFL activities contribute to safeguarding family unity and mitigating the long-term impact of separation. The paper calls for strengthened cooperation between authorities and humanitarian actors to promote a protection-sensitive, child-centered approach that integrates both legal standards and humanitarian principles. Ultimately, preserving family unity must be recognised as a humanitarian imperative and a shared responsibility across sectors and borders.
Title of the panel: Reuniting Families, Upholding Rights: RFL between Policy, Practice, and Protection (2025 IHSA Conference)
Title of the position paper: Separation of families crossing the Mediterranean Sea: preventing family separation to ensure the right to family unity.
Mixed migration across the Central Mediterranean remains one of the most complex and protracted humanitarian challenges at the external borders of the European Union (EU). Among those who reach European shores, an increasing number are families, often fractured during the journey, or composed of individuals, such as minors or single parents, who are at risk of separation.
The Italian island of Lampedusa is one of the main entry points to reach Europe, receiving thousands of individuals every year. Many of them report having close or extended family members already living in Italy or in other EU countries, and they often face the risk of separation due to several dangers associated with their migratory journey.
In many cases, family separation occurs even before the arrival, particularly during the pre-departure phase or embarkation from the coasts of Libya or Tunisia. These dynamics frequently result in staggered departures and arrivals, with different family members reaching Italy or Europe at different times, thereby causing or prolonging separation.
In such contexts, preserving family unity is an ethical and humanitarian imperative, beyond being a recognized right in a wide range of international and regional legal frameworks. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Art. 16.3) and the European Convention on Human Rights (Art. 8) affirm the right to family life. More specific to the needs of children and migrants, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) establishes the right of children not to be separated from their parents against their will (Art. 9), and calls for family reunification to be handled in a humane and expeditious manner (Art. 10).
Within the European Union instruments, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU (Arts. 7 and 24) and the Family Reunification Directive 2003/86/EC codify the right to family life and regulate the procedures for the reunification of third-country nationals residing legally in the EU. Additionally, the so-called Dublin III Regulation (Regulation EU 604/2013) explicitly prioritises the principle of family unity when determining the Member State responsible for examining asylum claims, especially for unaccompanied minors and vulnerable persons (Arts. 6, 8–11).
However, current legal frameworks tend to adopt a narrow definition of “family members,” typically limited to spouses and minor children. As a result, other forms of family relationships, such as extended or informal caregiving arrangements, which are increasingly present in migration contexts, may not be formally recognised or considered in reunification procedures. These gaps become particularly evident in maritime contexts, where individuals arrive at EU shores in an emergency or extreme vulnerability, often unable to provide formal documentation of family relationships. This can delay or prevent the application of legal protections, leaving many without access to reunification procedures and increasing the risk of long-term separation.
In 2025, Italy remains one of the principal points of arrival in Europe for people crossing the Central Mediterranean by sea. The island of Lampedusa continues to represent a symbolic and operational frontline within this route. In just the first five months of 2025 (January–May), over 18,000 people were assisted by the Italian Red Cross (CRI) on the island during 334 disembarkation events. While these figures show a decrease compared to previous years, they underscore the continuity and pressure of maritime arrivals.
The demographic composition of these migration flows highlights critical protection needs, including people, particularly from countries such as Guinea, Ivory Coast, Bangladesh, Egypt, Tunisia, Eritrea, and Syria. In 2025, 13.4% of those assisted were unaccompanied minors, while 5.1% were accompanied minors, and nearly 8% were adult women, some of whom were pregnant or travelling with infants . In addition, 517 warnings of separation have been processed by the Italian Red Cross concerning family members separated along the migratory route and arrived in Lampedusa, and 115 phone calls facilitated by Red Cross personnel to inform families about the safe arrival of their loved ones in Italy.
Overall, vulnerable individuals represent a significant portion of those receiving assistance. The characteristics of this migratory flow include the presence of vulnerable persons, small children, and individuals who report extended family links in Italy and Europe. Indeed, in 2024, the Italian Red Cross handled over 300 requests to trace missing family members, among which over 60 enquirers were minors. Over 200 warnings of separation, so-called “anxious for news”, have been collected to support separated families, mostly upon arrival.
The protection of family unity lies at the heart of the humanitarian mission of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It reflects the Fundamental Principle of Humanity, which affirms the Movement’s commitment to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found, and to protect life and dignity. Within this framework, the current Restoring Family Links (RFL) Strategy for the International Movement positions family unity not merely as a legal construct, representing the Restoring Family Links (RFL) itself the embodiment of the principle of humanity .
According to the Movement vision, a broader and more inclusive definition of family is recognised, which extends beyond legally recognised family links to include de facto family relationships, per the definition of the Code of Conduct on Data Protection. This understanding is essential in the context of displacement, migration, and humanitarian crises, where legal and social frameworks often fail to reflect the complexity of lived family ties.
In this context, the Italian Red Cross, together with the other Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, are entrusted with a vital role: to act as neutral, impartial actors who work to prevent family separation, to mitigate its consequences when it occurs, and to actively restore contact and promote reunification whenever possible. These actions are not only rooted in operational practice but are central to the Movement’s identity and relevance in responding to the evolving challenges of contemporary humanitarian crises, whether they arise from disasters, conflicts, violence, and migration.
In this setting, by engaging in early identification, documentation, and case management of family links – especially in contexts such as irregular migration and mixed flows – the Italian Red Cross contributes to the broader objective of protecting the dignity, safety, and psychosocial well-being of people on the move, while upholding the universal right to family life.
At the Lampedusa hotspot, as well as during the following steps of the migrants’ stay in Italy, the Italian Red Cross plays a fundamental humanitarian role not only by providing immediate assistance upon disembarkation but also contributing actively to protect the family unity through various Restoring Family Links (RFL) services offered to separated families in need. This is primarily ensured upon arrival of migrants by sea, and the presence of trained personnel on the field represents a key component for early detection of family links, particularly in the case of unaccompanied minors, and other vulnerable individuals. Together with the collection of information from family members reporting the presence of their relatives in Italy or elsewhere in Europe, acting timely is crucial in terms of preventing the risk of long-term family separation, especially in consideration of the subsequent required follow-up activities involving national authorities and other concerned stakeholders, that may include the worldwide Family Links network of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
A key aspect of this humanitarian action is the provision of accurate and accessible information at the time of arrival. The Italian Red Cross ensures that people are informed, through cultural mediation sessions, about their rights, the possibility of maintaining or re-establishing contact with family members, and the available channels for protection and reunification, where applicable. This guidance is particularly important in complex cases, such as when family members have been separated during their journey or have arrived in Italy at different times.
Through this work, the Italian Red Cross contributes to both individual case management and systemic coordination, acting as a trusted humanitarian intermediary between migrants, institutions, and relevant international partners. The early collection of family information, combined with a consolidated referral mechanism, ensure the monitoring of any identified needs, during the migration pathway in Italy and beyond, thanks to actions that reinforces the Movement’s broader commitment in ensuring that no family is left behind or forgotten, and the family reunification is reaffirmed as a fundamental principle.
In such cases, indeed, it is essential to ensure that family unity is protected not only at the point of arrival but also throughout the subsequent transfer process, including the monitoring in the reception system. Special attention is given to the best interests of unaccompanied minors, especially very young children, who may have relatives already in Italy or left behind in their countries of origin. In coordination with child protection authorities, the Italian Red Cross supports efforts in the collection of declared family links, intending to enable safe and appropriate follow-up, whether in the form of contact restoration or maintenance, reunification, or safeguarding.
This early identification and case management approach strengthens the broader effort to prevent long-term separation and supports a more holistic and protection-sensitive migration response, in line with the humanitarian mandate of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
In this framework, the collaboration between authorities and humanitarian organisations to preserve family unity is essential to prevent separation and to ensure that every decision concerning family members is taken with full consideration of their best interests and the do not harm principle. This cooperation must always be grounded in robust data protection frameworks, mutual trust, clearly defined and complementary roles, and a shared commitment to upholding the right to family life, particularly for vulnerable individuals such as unaccompanied and separated children.
Through structured bilateral coordination mechanisms and regular information exchange, it is possible to provide tailored support, integrating protection considerations at every stage of the process. This includes clarifying legal pathways, identifying obstacles to reunification, and promoting durable solutions aligned with the specific needs and best interests of the persons concerned.
In many cases, the legal framework's scope of application does not align with the specific family relationship that individuals wish to restore or maintain. When the normative criteria for legal family reunification exclude certain ties, humanitarian action can fill this gap. The Italian Red Cross, as a neutral and trusted actor, can intervene in specific situations to support such family links by facilitating the restoration, maintenance, or tracing of contact. This may include psychosocial support, tailored case management, and regular follow-up of the psychological and physical well-being of the persons involved, in coordination with the relevant actors responsible for care and protection.
Collaboration with authorities, therefore, goes beyond the implementation of existing legal procedures: it allows for the recognition of family bonds that fall outside formal frameworks but are nonetheless essential for the dignity, identity, and well-being of individuals. Through structured bilateral mechanisms, continuous dialogue, and advocacy, the Italian Red Cross contributes to a broader protection environment, where humanitarian considerations can complement legal norms to ensure that no family is left behind.
A specific mention concerns the unaccompanied and separated children arriving either completely alone or in the care of informal caregivers. In such cases, the role of humanitarian organisations is central in tracing family members in the countries of origin. This is essential not only to verify the willingness of relatives to re-establish contact or reunify, but also to ensure that decisions affecting the child are informed by a comprehensive understanding of their family context.
In many migration contexts, it is common for families to make difficult choices based on collective survival strategies. These decisions may include temporarily entrusting children to other adults, facilitating their departure in advance, or becoming separated along the way to reunite later. However, beyond such planned strategies, separation can also occur unintentionally due to the inherent risks of the migratory journey.
Factors such as chaotic embarkation processes, the urgency of boarding overcrowded boats, multiple and fragmented rescue operations at sea, detention and relocation measures during disembarkation and transit can all contribute to the separation of children from their relatives. In some cases, the identity and family connections of children may not be immediately clear upon arrival, especially when documentation is lacking or when children are accompanied by informal caregivers.
These varied circumstances underline the complexity of family separation in migratory settings and the importance of adopting a case-by-case, protection-sensitive approach that considers both the intentional and unintentional factors leading to the child’s situation. Understanding this complexity is essential to avoid premature assumptions and to develop responses that prioritise the best interests of the child, while also acknowledging the diverse realities that families face throughout the migration journey.
Closer collaboration between institutional actors and humanitarian organisations can enhance these efforts, particularly by improving the quality and sensitivity of information collected and by promoting a culturally aware and rights-based approach to the preservation of family unity.
Strengthening collaboration between institutional actors and humanitarian organisations is essential to reinforce tracing mechanisms, enable accurate and sensitive information gathering, and advocate for the right to family unity—particularly in relation to the child’s natural family of origin. When supported by coordinated efforts, these interventions can prevent unnecessary or prolonged separation and contribute to child protection outcomes that are both legally sound and culturally informed.
Family separation in the context of mixed migration is not an exceptional occurrence but a structural consequence of fragmented journeys, legal gaps, and operational limitations. The dynamics observed at key entry points such as Lampedusa illustrate how separations often begin long before disembarkation and are compounded by the complexity of reception systems and the rigidity of legal frameworks.
Despite recognition of the right to family life in international and regional instruments, effective protection remains uneven and conditional on factors such as age, legal status, and the ability to document relationships. In many cases, family ties fall outside the perimeter of formal reunification mechanisms, leaving individuals—particularly minors—without adequate support to maintain or restore contact.
Preventing separation and ensuring family unity requires a systemic and multidisciplinary approach, grounded in both legal and humanitarian principles. This means addressing normative blind spots, reinforcing early detection and follow-up capacities, and enabling cooperation between institutional and humanitarian actors.
Ultimately, safeguarding the integrity of family units must be understood not only as a matter of legal compliance, but as a concrete investment in the resilience, dignity, and protection of those who cross borders in search of safety.
