CHILD MIGRANT ARRIVALS IN GREECE QUADRUPLE THIS YEAR

ATHENS, 17 July 2024 –More than 6,400 refugee and migrant children entered Greece this year, more than four times the number for the same period in 2023, said Save the Children, calling for greater protections for children fleeing war and hunger.  

Analysis of monthly figures from UNHCR suggest that between January and June this year, about 5,580 refugee and migrant children arrived by sea to Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, while about 830 arrived by land – a combined 400% increase compared to the 1,280 migrant children who arrived in the first half of 2023.  

About one in every four child refugees and migrants who arrived in Greece this year came without family or a legal guardian—totalling over 1,500 unaccompanied migrant children, or triple the figure from the first half of 2023.

Fileri Kyriaki, a lawyer with the Greek Council for Refugees—a Save the Children local partner that advocates for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers—works on the Greek island of Kos, which is struggling with overcrowded refugee reception facilities known as Closed Controlled Access Centres.

Fileri said children travelling to Greece often experience agony and fear, knowing that they could die on their journey.

“There are no safe and legal channels to migration. The children have to risk their lives,” she said. “[And when they get to Kos] there is a total and chronic lack of adequate medical services, while at the same time the island’s structure is also insufficient for its inhabitants. There’s no capacity to actually screen vulnerabilities or provide them with the health care they need.”

Unaccompanied and separated children face additional barriers when they reach the Closed Controlled Access Centres. Until a guardian is appointed, these children have no one to bring them clothes, shoes or even a cell phone to call home and talk to their family.

Fileri said unaccompanied children also have to spend about two to three weeks in a fenced area called a ‘safe area’ until they are transferred to a shelter for unaccompanied children.

“Imagine that when an unaccompanied child is placed in the safe area, they are still wearing the wet clothes they wore during the boat journey. There is nothing to do in the safe area, no activities at all, recreational or otherwise. They are bored, and the place feels like a prison – it’s not at all child-friendly.  It is a container with barbed wire around it. In that sense, children who travelled with their families can exit the camp, while unaccompanied children cannot,” she said.

Last year, Save the Children and the Greek Council of Refugees found that most unaccompanied children seeking safety in Greece had their asylum claims rejected, leaving them without legal papers and vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

Now, with the European Union and its Member States approving the new Pact on Migration and Asylum – a legislative reform that will shape the region’s future migration system—earlier this year, there is concern that conditions could worsen for children. This move is expected to erode protections systems for children, potentially leading to more time in detention centres and more pushbacks at borders. 

Willy Bergogné, Save the Children Europe’s Director and EU Representative, said: 

“Children arriving alone in Greece are facing dire conditions that demand urgent attention, and the new EU Pact could make a bad situation even worse for them. Every child deserves safety and dignity upon arrival.  Yet, these children arriving in Greece are not being treated as children. It's imperative that Greek authorities and the EU step up to provide robust guardianship, essential proper protection systems, and improved living standards. The Mediterranean also cannot continue to be a graveyard for children. Safe and accessible routes into Europe must be established to ensure their safe passage.”

Save the Children and the Greek Council for Refugees are calling on Greek authorities to ensure a dedicated focal point or guardian is assigned to every unaccompanied and separated child from their first day in the country and to fund robust child protection services to guarantee their safety and well-being.

The two organisations are also calling for the Greek authorities to improve  the living conditions at Closed Controlled Access Centres for children. This includes facilitating access to the host community and implement regular maintenance and cleaning protocols for facilities. Provision of essential recreational equipment and prompt action on hygiene concerns are crucial to mitigate health risks, such as frequent scabies outbreaks.

 Save the Children is calling on the authorities in charge of implementing the EU Pact on Migration & Asylum to prioritise the protection of children and take steps to address and minimise any risks that could harm their rights. The decisions made by national authorities regarding border procedures, child protection measures, and monitoring systems will make a major difference in the lives and wellbeing of children and families seeking safety in Europe. 

The Greek Council for Refugees is the oldest NGO for refugee rights in the country. It provides legal and psychosocial support to refugees, and also provides interpretation and educational support.

Save the Children works with refugee and migrant children inside and outside of Europe, aiming to support vulnerable children with the greatest needs.

ENDS 

Methodology 

• UNHCR land and sea arrivals data for Greece taken from https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean/location/5179. Child share and the share of unaccompanied children estimated based on UNHCR breakdown of ages provided in the latest factsheet (https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/107795) as of April 2024 with data covering January and February.  Breakdowns of age for 2023 taken from the June 2023 factsheet. https://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/103086  

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