The regular meeting of the Task Force on Contested Minors was held today at the Farnesina, chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the participation of officials from the Ministries of the Interior and Justice.
The Task Force reported on several important cases that have been successfully resolved in recent months, such as the recovery of a minor in the United States and the return to Italy of a young girl who had been held in Ecuador since 2016. These achievements are the result of effective teamwork by the involved administrations, which participate in the Task Force to ensure unity and coordination in government action on such a delicate and complex issue as that of Italian children unlawfully taken abroad.
In addition to addressing some of the most complex ongoing cases, the working group also discussed broader issues that could, in the future, enhance inter-operability between the various institutions involved. Of particular significance was the recent training course for cross-border family mediators, funded by the European Commission and with the active participation of the Ministry of Justice.
The scale of the issue of contested minors remains concerning. To date, there are 456 recorded cases, including 253 in Europe, 56 in the Mediterranean and Middle East region, 13 in Africa, 89 in the Americas, and 45 in Asia and Oceania.
