{"id":11309,"date":"2025-06-19T09:04:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T09:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/?p=11309"},"modified":"2025-06-19T09:19:41","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T09:19:41","slug":"diaschizontas-grammes-i-pragmatikotita-poy-vionoyn-ta-paidia-metanastes-sta-exoterika-synora-tis-ee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gcr.gr\/en\/news\/item\/diaschizontas-grammes-i-pragmatikotita-poy-vionoyn-ta-paidia-metanastes-sta-exoterika-synora-tis-ee\/","title":{"rendered":"Crossing Lines: Realities of migrant children at EU external borders"},"content":{"rendered":"

New report from Save the Children highlights violations of the rights of migrant and refugee children at the EU\u2019s external borders.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BRUSSELS, 18 June 2025<\/strong> Refugee and migrant children arriving in Europe are facing systematic abuse, detention, and misidentification as adults as European Union (EU) countries tighten migration controls ahead of a sweeping new asylum pact, according to a new report by Save the Children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calling for greater protections for refugee and migrant children ahead of World Refugee Day, on 20 June, the report examines the situation of children on the move at the EU\u2019s external borders\u2014focusing on Greece, Italy, Finland, Spain, and Poland\u2014and draws on interviews with 33 children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers warn that the upcoming EU Pact on Migration and Asylum\u2014a reform promised to balance stronger border security with greater protections for migrants\u2014risks failing to safeguard children, particularly unaccompanied minors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the EU Pact is not set to officially take effect until June 2026, several EU countries are already aligning their national policies with it. Some Member States are enacting or expanding restrictive measures such as child detention and reduced access to asylum, fuelling the securitisation of borders\u2014often justified as enhanced national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report warns that these measures have created an environment where children's rights and protections are routinely violated, highlighting cases of children being wrongly identified as adults, placed in adult detention facilities, and left without appropriate care or legal assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) contributed to the drafting of the report by conducting interviews with refugee and migrant children residing in Greece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children interviewed for the report described harrowing journeys and arrivals in Europe, including being fired upon and separated from their parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahmed*, 17, from Egypt, recalled the moment he arrived in Greece:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe wanted to go to Rhodes. At some point, the boat driver said that the coastguard is 10km away from us so I cannot go any further. We had our passports with us, and we got scared. We started swimming and arrived at Symi, Greece. When we arrived, they started shooting at us, around 70 shots.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amin*, 16, from Syria, is living alone in Greece after being smuggled into the country by boat. He was separated from his parents and sister during the journey and his boat made it to a Greek island but their boat was intercepted and turned back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m alone; far from my parents, and I miss them,\u201d <\/em>said Amin, who spent four days living on the streets in Greece before moving into a tower block shelter for unaccompanied children. \u201cHere among us, because we\u2019re from different countries, some kids come at night and bang on the doors for no reason. There are only two of us here from Syria. I feel safe, but I would feel better if we didn\u2019t have this issue.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Countries that are under-resourced to manage refugees and migrants at their borders, combined with increasingly restrictive policies, often leave children\u2014especially unaccompanied minors\u2014without access to adequate, child-friendly services when they arrive in the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save the Children is warning that there is a real and present danger that a generation of refugee and migrant children will be deprived of their rights even more when the EU Pact comes into effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willy Bergogn\u00e9, Save the Children Europe\u2019s Director and EU Representative said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is unfolding at the EU\u2019s borders today is a clear violation of children\u2019s rights, and it needs to stop. Governments must take responsibility for the protection of all children, regardless of whether they are from that country or are seeking safety there. No child should be forced to bear the consequences of policies putting deterrence ahead of protection. Penalising asylum seekers for exercising their right to seek protection and turning migration into a criminal act violates international law and betrays the values of humanity and compassion that the EU claims to uphold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum becomes legally binding in one year\u2019s time, it risks validating these ongoing violations. This research serves as both a warning and a future-proofing tool to ensure child rights are not pushed aside when the Pact comes into effect. While the Pact has been framed as a balanced compromise between border security and human rights, without stronger enforcement of child rights in its implementation, vulnerable children will continue to fall through the cracks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save the Children is calling for the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights to be upheld in the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All EU States must prioritise children\u2019s rights and safety by using fair and child-friendly age and vulnerability assessments so that children are not wrongly identified as adults. Border officials must also be trained in child-sensitive, trauma-informed approaches\u2014especially for girls and survivors of gender-based violence. These assessments should happen in a child-friendly setting, with independent experts who understand children\u2019s needs and work with cultural mediators and a team of specialists. They should consider each child\u2019s physical and mental health, development, background, and environment to make sure the results are as accurate and reliable as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The child rights organisation is also calling for EU Member States to ensure that children are not detained or denied protection under the new migration system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the full report here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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