The Ibn Battuta Foundation presents a pioneering Legal and Psychosocial Guide to improve intervention with unaccompanied migrant children

Held at the headquarters of the State Secretariat for Migration in Madrid, the Ibn Battuta Foundation, as part of the ‘Safe Childhood’ project, presented the official launch of the new Legal and Psychosocial Guide for professionals working with unaccompanied migrant children. The project is funded by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration and co-financed by European Union funds. 

The event, which brought together professionals from the social, educational and health fields, was opened by Santiago Yerga Cobos, Director General of Migration, and Saúl Gómez Alberola, Advisor to the Cabinet of the Ministry of Youth and Children, who highlighted the need to provide those working on the front line with unaccompanied minors with useful tools that are adapted and sensitive to their realities. Both institutional representatives emphasised the value of networking between administrations, social entities and specialised professionals to ensure the effective protection of these children. 

The guide was presented by Mercedes Pescador Martín, founder of the Medialuna publishing house, who also acted as moderator for the event. Through a close and dynamic conversation, she gave way to the presentations by the authors of the guide: Aziz Allaouzi, Director of the Ibn Battuta Foundation in the Community of Madrid, Chaima El Yousfi Agzennay, a lawyer specialising in migration, and Elsa Mar El Helou Hammadi, a psychologist specialising in intercultural intervention. During their presentations, they shared the motivation behind the guide, the main challenges faced by professionals, and the need for a more humane and empathetic approach to supporting migrant children. 

The importance of creating safe, respectful and culturally competent environments that recognise the value and resilience of migrant children who arrive in our country alone was highlighted. 

The Ibn Battuta Foundation expressed its special thanks to the team at the State Secretariat for Migration, the technical staff of the event and the editorial team at Medialuna for making it possible for the guide to be ready on time. It also recognised the work of the Madrid team, made up of Zenib, Samira, Mariam, Ana and others committed to the organisation's mission. 

The guide was distributed in physical format to attendees and is also available via QR code. With this publication, the Ibn Battuta Foundation reaffirms its commitment to building a more inclusive society where the rights of migrant children are respected and promoted. The guide seeks to facilitate and improve professional intervention with this group, providing legal knowledge, practical tools and psychosocial keys from a rights-based, intercultural and care-oriented approach.