ASTI Highlights Challenge of School Registration for Children Without a Legal Address

On Friday 13 September 2024, the Association for the Support of Immigrant Workers (Association de Soutien aux Travailleurs Immigrés - ASTI) has raised awareness of what they described as a problem that it regularly faces, particularly within the Migrant Information Desk, concerning the school registration of children who do not have a legal address and/or no residence permit in Luxembourg.

According to STI, during the 2023/2024 school year, the social workers at their Migrant Information Desk had to intervene on several occasions in cases where a child of compulsory school age was refused registration. "We also fear that there are a much higher number of children who have not been enrolled in school for administrative reasons and of which we are not aware".

ASTI referenced the law of 20 July 2023 relating to compulsory schooling and the circular of the Ministry of National Education (MEN) of 6 January 2014, relating to the school registration of children and young people newly settled in the country, whereby all children, regardless of the administrative status of their parents, are subject to compulsory schooling. They added that municipalities are obliged to accept the registration of any child, even if it is not possible to present a certificate of residence.

ASTI has claimed that failure to register a child of compulsory school age in school is therefore contrary to the law.

For children aged between 4 and 12 years old, registration is done in the municipality in which the child lives. Parents can benefit from the assistance of the MEN's School Integration and Reception Service (SIA), by making an appointment by tel: 247-76570. In case of difficulties, parents can contact the ASTI Migrant Information Desk by tel: 260215 or by email: guichet@asti.lu.

ASTI has called on the school services of Luxembourg municipalities and the Ministry of National Education to exercise particular vigilance, in order to guarantee that there are no obstacles to the registration of children from families who do not have a legal address and/or no residence permit in Luxembourg, stating "this is a right for every child of compulsory school age".