“There are reports of traffickers targeting parentless children fleeing Ukraine, and many such children are currently unaccounted for, following the hasty evacuation of orphanages and foster homes”, warns the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA).
In less than 3 weeks, some 3 million people have been forced to flee to other European countries, and an estimated 90% of them are women and children, says the GRETA communiqué, which urges host countries to be vigilant.
In this sense, GRETA urges the authorities to “take measures to prevent fraudulent offers of transport, accommodation and work” as well as to “strengthen protocols for the safety of unaccompanied children in conjunction with the national child protection system”.
According to Helga Gayer, President of GRETA, “urgent steps must be taken to strengthen coordination at border crossings and reception facilities and to ensure the accurate registration of refugees and their access to necessary documentation, residence permits and essential services”. (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)