About the centre

The European Center for Research and Action for Minors and Migration (CEIPAMM) is an academic Center formed by social scientists from various continents who have come together with the intention to progress in scientific knowledge, intervention practices, and the policies that affect migrant children accompanied and unaccompanied.

This Center was founded in December 2017 its origins being based on two facts: the peculiar socio-political location of the city of Melilla (spanish city in the north of the African continent), which is one of the three main known routes of entry of migrant minors to Europe, and the International Seminars on unaccompanied foreign minors that have been held at the UNED in Melilla since 2015. The CEIPAMM receives support from the Autonomous City of Melilla, basically from the Ministry of Social Welfare and the UNED of Melilla.

Most of the 16 countries represented are European along with american, north American and asian countries. Research at the Centre is comparative between nations and systems. The Centre is interdisciplinary, with researchers from Social work, law, sociology, political science, Sociology, Philosophy, Psychology… The target is to work on connecting the southernmost border of Europe with the rest of the continent to deepen in the social and political issues related to these minors. The aim is to deep in the knowledge about migrations and its effect on children and young people and to achieve a national and european common criteria of reception, intervention, and integration in relation to migrant minors. Approaching these questions empirically, we investigate children’s rights and child protection systems, understanding how professionals in different states decide the best interests of a child. We use multilevel data sources in our research and multiple research methods. Several PhD students are afffiliated with the Center. 

Among other activities, the Center is leading several research projects and organizes semi-annual and annual meetings of experts on the subject, creating spaces for the exchange, progress, learning and improvement. The Center produces a high number of scientific publications per year and has strong links with important national and international associations that work on these topics.