Denko arrived in France at the age of 16, two years after he began his journey from Mali. Along the way, he watched friends slowly disappear, dying of the cruel perils that face youth crossing two continents by land and sea. He worked for a year in Italy to earn the money for passage to France, where he could speak the local language. Two months after formally presenting himself to the French authorities for legal immigration, Denko died on January 6, 2017. Friends found Denko on the ground below an eight-story building.

 

When Denko presented himself as an unaccompanied minor in France, immigration officers questioned his age. Ultimately, they ruled to treat him as an adult. Consequently, he would have no rights in France and was to be deported back to Mali. Denko's friends attest that he preferred death to the reversal of a two-year journey meant to better his life. His friends now carry suicide notes in case they are ever faced with the same decision.

 

In December 2016, I traveled to France to conduct research on the education services available to refugee and migrant youth residing in France. I am writing Denko's story here because it does not fit into that research, and yet it is the only finding I am wanting to share. A few days after beginning my interviews, Denko's death rocked the NGO network in the area. I had to pause my work as local organizations provided counseling and advocacy for the residents of the housing unit where Denko lived: 80 migrant children and adolescents, caught in limbo between childhood and adulthood, between countries and continents, trying to survive without assistance or interest from the government.

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In a week I will stand as part of a conference panel to explain how local implementation of education policy has lost sight of international human rights agreements. My methodology for this project was policy-based, and Denko's story will be but anecdotal. The findings are the same: a child, after walking 4,000 kilometers, would rather die than return to a situation of war, persecution, poverty or limited opportunities. 

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In theory, international humanitarian law is simple: children have the right to safety, security and education. In practice, if a child leaves Mali at 14 and arrives in France at 16, past the mandated age for universal education in Europe, does she have the right to go to school? My research argues that international human rights protocol does not allow for implementation in real situations, such as in France, where Denko sought an education.

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I will elaborate upon further findings from my research project at the March Comparative and International Education Society Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, and provide a full paper in May. To learn more about Denko Sissoko, please read the report by Réseau Éducation Sans Frontières. 

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