UNICEF: Ten times more child refugees than a decade ago

[Svad1287]

The number of children seeking asylum in Europe has increased ten-fold since 2008 with many travelling unaccompanied, according to a new report by the United Nation’s Children Fund, UNICEF.

The “A Child is a Child” report found that 92 percent of children who took the dangerous sea passage from North Africa to Italy in 2016 and the first two months of 2017 were travelling alone, up from 75 percent in 2015.

UNICEF's chief lawyer in Sweden and programme officer, Christina Heilborn, told Swedish Radio that the majority of girls arriving in Italy had been sexually abused on the journey.

"This is about rape, abuse, and forced labour – and more and more children are reporting this," she said. "They tell horrific stories. Many of the children have also been locked up in containment, effectively imprisoned."

She cited the example of a 13-year-old girl she met in Sicily who had started selling herself for sex to survive after being raped and abused on her way to Europe.

"The smugglers are extremely dominant in the children's lives, even if it looks different depending on whether they are physically present or not. But there is always a threat hanging over them that there are debts to be paid back, and a fear that is very obvious."

Heilborn said that the changes in the asylum laws granting only temporary residence permits, which make it more difficult for families to be reunited, is forcing greater numbers of people to take dangerous journeys to join their relatives in Sweden.

"Unaccompanied youth and children are forced out onto the dangerous boats in the Mediterranean," she said.


If the majority have been sexually abused, what kind of men are coming with them?! This should seriously warrant stopping men from coming!

Unicef isnt the best source of these statistics, since they are biased as hell, just like the red cross etc.

alot of the immigrants, are also taught what to tell the authorities, to get temp. asylum, There was a deocumentary here in Denmark, where the local red cross in Copenhagen, Aarhus and Aalborg, told the immigrants which lies to use, in order to get asylum etc.

[Hooked]

This is being pushed by the same old foes, only now they have unlimited money. Doesn't make a difference in my opinion. Never bite the hand that feeds you.

[Rennadrel]

No kidding, look at all the wars that have people displaced right now. It's a bloody shame and really saddening.