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A Syrian family fleeing near the Greek-Macedonian border
Photo: Kostas Tsironis/ dpa
Beatings, sexual abuse and exploitation: According to a report by the organization "Save the Children", children fleeing via the Balkan route towards the European Union (EU) are at the mercy of massive violence by adults.
There is an "enormous level of violence and a blatant lack of protection for underage refugees in Europe," writes the children's rights organization.
Above all, police officers, smugglers and other strangers would add to the minors.
In particular, boys traveling alone are exposed to a considerable risk of sexual violence in collective accommodation and border camps.
Many children and young people compensated for what they had experienced with alcohol and drugs.
There are also many cases of self-harm and attempted suicide.
»Save the Children« bases its statements on extensive interviews with 48 children aged 13 to 19 in the non-EU countries of Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Among them are 30 unaccompanied boys as well as eight boys and ten girls who were traveling with their families or close relatives.
On average, the children surveyed had been on the run for four years.
The interviews are collected in the report, Wherever we go, someone does us harm, released today.
The child rights activists criticize that the EU is doing too little to better protect refugees.
The "deterrence and isolation policy towards refugees" pursued by the EU fuels the inhumane treatment of children along the escape route.
"Save the Children" also criticizes the fact that children are often housed in prison-like accommodation where they are not informed about their rights.
"Violence Goes Unpunished"
"Because Europe's focus on deterring those arriving, children are exposed to shocking violence from police and border guards - violence that goes unpunished," says Ylva Sperling, director of Save the Children in Europe.
»Children seeking safety in Europe and entitled to international protection are often forced to turn to smugglers, who are their only hope of crossing borders – and these smugglers continue to abuse them.«
Bogdan Krasic, head of Save the Children's Balkans Office for Migration and Displacement, warns that the violence experienced could permanently affect the children's development "and also negatively impact their ability to integrate in host countries".
From the point of view of the child rights activists, the EU should give minors fleeing access to safe and legal migration routes.
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