“He said to me if I didn’t sleep with him he would not bring me to Europe. He raped me.” – Mary, 17-years-old from Nigeria
18 May 2017 – The global number of refugee and migrant children moving alone has reached a record high, increasing nearly five-fold since 2010, UNICEF said today in a new report. At least 300,000 unaccompanied and separated children were recorded in some 80 countries in 2015-2016, up from 66,000 in 2010-2011.
‘A Child is a Child: Protecting children on the move from violence, abuse and exploitation’ presents a global snapshot of refugee and migrant children, the motivations behind their journeys and the risks they face along the way. The report shows that an increasing number of these children are taking highly dangerous routes, often at the mercy of smugglers and traffickers, to reach their destinations, clearly justifying the need for a global protection system to keep them safe from exploitation, abuse and death.
“One child moving alone is one too many, and yet today, there are a staggering number of children doing just that – we as adults are failing to protect them,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth. “Ruthless smugglers and traffickers are exploiting their vulnerability for personal gain, helping children to cross borders, only to sell them into slavery and forced prostitution. It is unconscionable that we are not adequately defending children from these predators.”
Unicef UK has been asking the UK Government to do more to ensure that refugee and migrant children are safe and protected when trying to reach the UK. The charity is asking the Government to build on the work done to bring children to safety in the UK from Calais last year, by changing its immigration rules on family reunion so that children can join family members in the UK from their countries of origin or transit, removing the need to make dangerous journeys to Europe. Unicef UK says that by developing cross-border protection for children and putting in place resettlement schemes beyond the 2020 cut-off, the UK can ensure that all unaccompanied children have the stability and support they need to rebuild their lives.
The UNICEF report includes the story of Mary, a 17-year-old unaccompanied minor from Nigeria, who experienced the trauma of being trafficked firsthand during her horrific journey through Libya to Italy. When describing the smuggler turned trafficker who offered to help her, she said, “Everything (he) said, that we would be treated well, and that we would be safe, it was all wrong. It was a lie.” Mary was trapped in Libya for more than three months where she was abused. “He said to me if I didn’t sleep with him he would not bring me to Europe. He raped me.”
Additional key findings from the report include:
– 200,000 unaccompanied children applied for asylum across 80 countries in 2015-2016.
– 100,000 unaccompanied children were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2015-2016.
– 170,000 unaccompanied children applied for asylum in Europe in 2015-2016.
– Unaccompanied and separated children accounted for 92 per cent of all children arriving to Italy by sea in 2016.
– Children account for approximately 28 per cent of trafficking victims globally.
– Sub-Saharan Africa and Central America and the Caribbean have the highest share of children among detected trafficking victims at 64 and 62 per cent respectively.
– As much as 20 per cent of smugglers have links to human trafficking networks.
Ahead of the G7 Summit in Italy, UNICEF is calling on governments around the world to adopt its six-point agenda for action to protect refugee and migrant children and ensure their wellbeing.
“These children need a real commitment from governments around the world to ensure their safety throughout their journeys,” said Forsyth. “Leaders gathering next week at the G7 should lead this effort by being the first to commit to our six-point agenda for action.”
The UNICEF agenda for action includes:
1. Protect child refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children, from exploitation and violence;
2. End the detention of children seeking refugee status or migrating, by introducing a range of practical alternatives;
3. Keep families together as the best way to protect children and give children legal status;
4. Keep all refugee and migrant children learning and give them access to health and other quality services;
5. Press for action on the underlying causes of large scale movements of refugees and migrants;
6. Promote measures to combat xenophobia, discrimination and marginalization in countries of transit and destination.
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Notes to Editors
A copy of the executive summary is available here
About Unicef:
Unicef is the world’s leading organisation for children, promoting the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
Unicef UK raises funds to protect children in danger, transform their lives and build a safer world for tomorrow’s children. As a registered charity we raise funds through donations from individuals, organisations and companies and we lobby and campaign to keep children safe. Unicef UK also runs programmes in schools, hospitals and with local authorities in the UK. For more information please visit unicef.org.uk
For more information, please contact:
Unicef UK Media Team, 0207 375 6030, [email protected]