European states must step up their efforts to protect child refugees, the UN refugee agency has urged.
UNHCR's latest Desperate Journeys report, published on 14 October, notes that, from January to September 2019, some 80,800 people arrived in Europe via Mediterranean routes – down from 102,700 in the same period of 2018. Of those who arrived, more than one-quarter were children, many travelling without their parents.
The report flags “difficult and dangerous” journeys that child refugees have made, but also the continuing risks and hardships once in Europe, including unsafe accommodation, being incorrectly registered as adults, and a lack of appropriate care.
Conflict
"These children may have fled conflict, lost family members, been away from home for months, even years, with some enduring horrific abuses during their journeys, but their suffering doesn't stop at the border," said Pascale Moreau (Director of UNHCR's Europe Bureau).
"Across Europe, unaccompanied children, in particular, are frequently housed in large centres with minimal oversight, exposing them to further abuse, violence and psychological distress, and increasing the risk that they will move on or disappear."
Greece has received the majority of arrivals across the Mediterranean region this year – more than Spain, Italy, Malta and Cyprus combined.
Separated children
So far, more than 12,900 children have arrived in Greece by sea, including almost 2,100 unaccompanied or separated children, many of them from Afghanistan, Syria and other countries characterised by conflict and violence.
The Greek authorities have announced measures to alleviate overcrowding in refugee camps and have introduced some community-based foster care.
UNHCR has appealed to European states to open up places for the relocation of child refugees as a gesture of solidarity, and to speed up transfers for children eligible to join family members.
The report calls on European states to end the use of immigration detention for children, appoint trained guardians or social workers, and ensure that refugee and migrant children can receive an education.
It calls for “holistic and multi-disciplinary methods” to be used when assessing a refugee’s age.