Development of the Age Assessment Baseline in Serbia

Project Context and Scope

This project aims to strengthen Serbia's migration and asylum governance while fostering a more positive and informed public perception of migrants, asylum-seekers, and refugees. Through targeted research, communication strategies, and community-based activities, it works to counter negative narratives and promote social cohesion and integration. A key policy-focused component seeks to enhance the asylum system and support the integration of foreigners by addressing legislative gaps and improving institutional coordination. 

Within this framework, the purpose of this TOR is to engage a consultant to develop a comprehensive age assessment baseline of unaccompanied and separated children (UASC). The Age Assessment Baseline document (Baseline) should identify solutions, opportunities and the limitations of the current legislation in the process of age determination in Serbia, elaborating the gaps and identifying legislation and procedures which need to be adjusted so that age assessment could be properly addressed by stakeholders in Serbia. Therefore, the work will include mapping and analysis of existing relevant laws, identify procedural gaps, and defining actionable recommendations for establishing clear competences and foundation for age determination of UASC. Based on this, a pathway for a structured framework for officials, social workers, and other stakeholders to follow when determining the age of UASC should be established. 

The Baseline development will rely on the principles of best interests of the child, legal protection and procedural safeguards for UASC in age assessment, and the way they are and should be incorporated in the legislation and procedures in Serbia. It will look at how child-centeredness is addressed in the national legal and institutional framework in the context of age assessment, the existence of specific circumstances and needs of the applicant, with the best interests of the child as the primary consideration. It will also describe if preconditions exist for adequate use of documentation and methods, multidisciplinary collaboration, data sharing procedures in place.

The baseline study methodology will use input and guidance by child specialists from responsible government institutions and include relevant EUAA practical guides and Council of Europe Guidelines.

In the context of migration, children face multiple risks and challenges, whether they are travelling with their family, other caregivers, or alone. In 2024 1,763 UASC were registered in reception centers, with 1,827 guardianship decisions issued. The majority were boys age 7 to 17, nationalities primarily from Egypt (41.05%) and Afghanistan (40.57%), followed by Syria (7.8%), Morocco (4.53%), and Turkey (4.53%). Egyptian UASC emerged as the predominant group from late 2023 onward, often traveling in national groups with Italy as their intended destination. This trend continued in 2025. In the first five months, 419 UASC were recorded in SCRM centers, representing 12.06% of the total migrant population—a substantial rise compared to 3% in 2023 and 9% in 2024. These figures reflect both the increasing presence of UASC in Serbia and the growing urgency of addressing their unique protection needs.

Children are more vulnerable than adults, especially if they are arriving from areas of conflict and deprivation or in case unaccompanied or accompanied by adults who are not their traditional carers. Additionally, UASC are the most vulnerable, due to their age, lack of family members, guardians, and care providers. Their travel is often facilitated by smugglers and traffickers, significantly increasing the risks for personal safety and exposure to violence, abuse, and exploitation. This is coupled with the fact that minors frequently travel in the company of adults, making it challenging for the police to determine their status accurately, due to the lack of functional age assessments. 

While adopting the EUAA age assessment methods can improve the response, legal and institutional responsibilities in this process should be clear to enable effective application of age assessment in a child-sensitive and protection-oriented manner. It is thus necessary asses those aspects of the national response, and compare it against existing procedures in Serbia, and best international and EU standards.

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing

EU Support to Migration Management in Serbia – Improving reception capacity, protection services and access to education III - CS.1175

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