A/HRC/35/25/Add.2 B. Children 90. More than one third of the migrant population in Greece are children. Conditions in closed facilities in reception and identification centres are deplorable, leaving children at heightened risk of abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation. Alternatives to detention, in the form of open shelters for families and unaccompanied minors, with appropriate counselling and services, must be established as a matter of urgent priority. 91. However, at the time of the visit, even open reception facilities in Greece were ill equipped to adequately host the large number of refugee children with a variety of needs for support and protection, care, education and access to food, for a prolonged period. The substandard conditions in camps expose them to risks of chest infections, hypothermia and diarrhoea. 92. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the elaboration of the National Action Plan for Children’s Rights, under the coordination of the General Secretariat for Transparency and Human Rights. The action plan should address emerging challenges in regard to children’s rights in the context of the economic and refugee crises. 93. At the time of the Special Rapporteur’s visit, migrant and refugee children did not have access to schools, resulting in long-term gaps in their education, as the majority of children had been out of school for far longer than their journey to Europe. The Special Rapporteur welcomes measures taken following his visit that provide for the enrolment of migrant children in the national education system or for the creation of school annexes dedicated to migrant and refugee children. 1. Unaccompanied minors 94. The Public Prosecutor acts as the temporary guardian of an unaccompanied minor, until a permanent guardian can be selected. Because of the large number of children entrusted to his office, the Public Prosecutor is not able to act effectively in the interest of migrant children, which has huge implications for all aspects of the protection and exercise of unaccompanied minors’ rights. 95. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the Government’s proposals to develop a more structured system of guardianship for unaccompanied minors. Guardians need the necessary professional training, experience, expertise and competence, as well as appropriate support and resources. The best interest of the child depends on the guardian being able to make the best and quickest decisions possible on all matters of concern. The Special Rapporteur commends the efforts of civil society to provide volunteer guardians to unaccompanied migrant children and notes that policy development is in the works. 96. In order to decide on the appropriate procedure, age assessment is required. The Special Rapporteur has been informed that in the reception and identification centres, age assessment is often carried out by NGOs. In case of doubt, the person concerned is referred to the hospital. According to ministerial decision 1982/2016, age assessment is determined by a macroscopic medical examination. 2. Family reunification 97. The Special Rapporteur was informed that a large number of unaccompanied minors have family in another European Union Member State. Consequently, in their attempt to avoid detection, children are repeatedly exposed to exploitation and violence, which is particularly apparent during their repeated attempts to reach another European country irregularly. 98. The Special Rapporteur was informed that the Dublin procedure is often lengthy and that it may take 15 to 18 months for children to be reunited with their family members, due to DNA tests required by the receiving States. This is unacceptable and the procedure should be shortened. 15