The Council of Europe group of experts on human trafficking (GRETA) expressed its grave concern on Friday 28 July about the scale of trafficking of children in Europe, particularly child refugees and child migrants.
The declaration comes two months after World Day for the Dignity of Victims of Human Trafficking and notes that the figures available show that a quarter of trafficking victims are sexually exploited children or children in forced labour or forced marriages. Not to mention the fact that increasing numbers of children are forced to join organised criminal gangs against their will.
This trafficking is taking place on migration routes and even within Europe, explained GRETA chair Siobhán Mullally. She said it was a true humanitarian crisis and urged the 47 Council of Europe member states to act in all urgency.
The declaration criticises the absence of protection in refugee camps and transit camps at borders, the length of time it takes to assign a mentor for unaccompanied children, restrictions introduced by a number of countries on family reunification, the limited possibilities for resettlement and the hostility that child refugees and migrants are sometimes subject to.
GRETA originally rang the alarm bell in March 2016 (see EUROPE 11516). (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)