Training courses have begun in Italy for volunteers who wish to serve as legal guardians for unaccompanied minor migrants. Classes have already started in Liguria. Though it's not a region of first arrival, a growing number of migrants pass it on the route towards France.
In the Liguria region, the first lesson has taken place in a class to train legal guardians of unaccompanied minor migrants.The initiative is part of a package of measures for the protection of unaccompanied minor children put into place by the Civic Defender and Guarantor for Children and Adolescents in Liguria, Francesco Lalla.
Following a detailed selection process, the Genoese offices of the Guarantor chose about 70 people who volunteered to undertake an essential and delicate role in the current climate of strong and uncontrolled migration. The 15-hour course takes place over three days, which can be supplemented with additional meetings.
High number of volunteer applicants
Due to widespread interest in the course, organizers divided it into three separate sections of 20-25 people each. The call for applicants published in May is still open, which means there may be more volunteers still to come. Lessons are taught by experts from the non-profit organization Defence for Children. Once their training is complete, the legal guardian judge for the Court of Genoa, Domenico Pellegrini, will draw from the list of volunteer participants. "We're pleased with the quantity of applications we're received thus far, which has already allowed us to select a considerable number of candidates," Lalla said."We hope that others will join these 70 enrolled in the course in this important challenge, which represents a civics lesson in the protection of children," he said. (Picture shows ).