CONFERENCE | by Camilla Azzini
Left Behind – Brussels Conference: Federica Marengo
Biographical note:
Federica Marengo is a project officer for ALC, a French NGO created in Nice in 1913. She has more than 10 years experience in national and European projects for assistance of trafficked persons. She is part of the coordination team of the French National Network for assisting and protecting victims of trafficking (Ac.Sé Network), which is composed by 50 shelters and 20 specialized NGOs and provides safe sheltering and assistance to victims who are in danger and counseling for professionals.
Since 2009 she works on a European project funded by a common initiative of EC and UNDP on the specific issue of the left-behind children.
Abstract of presentation:
‘The French experience as receiving country’
Since 2002, when the French National Network for assisting and protecting victims of trafficking was created, aound 20% of the persons who have been protected in our shelters have children left-behind.
Most of them where from Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria. Now, a largest number comes from Nigeria. The social inclusion in France of these people is conditioned by the presence of the children in the countries of origin.
In 2009 we decided to share our experience in the social assistance of the migrant parents with a Moldovan NGO (CRIC) which works with children left-behind. The “Support for parents and children in migration” project is founded by EU and UNDP and provides actions for children in the country of origin and for migrant parents in France, as well as information activities for professionals. As the migration concerns also many other people and other nationalities, we are adapting the methodology of work not only for Moldovan people but also for Bulgarian, Romanian, Russian, and Nigerian.