This ad hoc query focuses on the early detection and identification of presumed victims of torture or other forms of inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in international and temporary protection procedures. It inter alia collects information from EMN Member Countries on guidance and training available to competent authorities, on referrals to medico-legal assessments and use of medico-legal documentation as well as on challenges and good practices in this field.

In the Netherlands, there is a special policy applicable to third-country national children based on a family supervision order (child protection order) that is imposed by the juvenile court. The Dutch authorities launched this query because they want to know whether it is possible for a minor third-country national who is covered by a similar order to receive a residence permit in other Member States.

The Luxembourg Ombudsman for Children and Youth (OKaJu), together with UNICEF Luxembourg, is carrying out research on the situation of unaccompanied minors (UAMs) in Luxembourg. In this context, they would like to collect information on good practices in other EU Member States with a focus on the guardianship of UAMs.

The Belgian authorities are looking to improve/review the special residence procedure for unaccompanied foreign minors, known as the Best Interest Procedure. In this context, Belgium launched three ad hoc queries to seek information from other Member States on (i) similar residence procedures specifically for UAMs, (ii) procedures followed in case return to the country of origin is considered and (iii) steps taken to implement return decisions.

The DRC Global Displacement Forecast 2023 Report, projects that the total number of people displaced will increase by 1.9 million in 2023 and an additional 3.5 million in 2024. This means that by 2024, the number of displaced people will have more than doubled since 2015 and increased by more than 50 million. 

The Dutch National Contact Point (NCP) to the European Migration Network launched an ad hoc query on the existing data on unaccompanied minors (UAMs) outside of international protection procedures in other Member Countries. With this query, the Dutch NCP wanted to get a better picture of the total influx of UAMs in a European perspective.