Number of single refugee children rising in the Balkans

Most are staying in collective centres, goads, asylum centres, parks, or in open spaces, in Serbia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Bosnia.

The only trip on the new Balkan road to Western Europe exposes them to numerous dangers such as hunger, human traffickers, and sexual abuse and exploitation.

The subject of unaccompanied refugee children and immigrants is central to the international agenda since the U.S. began to separate immigrants' children from their parents on the border with Mexico.

President Donald Trump's wife, Melanie, has increased the fuss by interfering in the debate to say she “currently sees children separated from their families”.

Meanwhile, official data show that the number of people of all ages using Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Serbia as a new transit route to reach Western Europe is growing rapidly.

Serbia

Eighteen waiting and asylum centres managed by Serbia's Commissioner for Refugees and Migration currently have 682 children → 410 boys and 272 girls, said the Commissioner for BIRN, adding that this number represents a quarter of the total number of refugees and migrants in Serbia.

“From the total number of children, 75 are unique minorities,” he stressed.

The commissioner pointed out that he cares to ensure that unaccompanied minors be placed in separate rooms from those where single adults stay.

All primary school immigrants, regardless of their legal status, have access to education,” he added.

The commissioner explained that in the 2017/2018 school year, the Ministry of Education included all children of immigrants and refugees between the ages of seven and 14, regardless of their status, in the primary education system.

There are 276 (refuge and immigrants) school age children, 22 of whom are underage minors unaccompanied in age groups seven to 14,” he said.

The commissioner stressed that he is co-operating with NGOs in providing additional activities for children, as is learning Serbian and creative work.

Jelena Besedic, director of the Balkan Programme for Migration and Displacement of Save the Children, told BIRN that this charity had established the Balkan Centre, BMDH, in late 2017, focusing on migration to the region and efforts to provide support to children in the movement.

The Western Balkans' “road remains active and arrivals and departures continue. Save the Children estimates that more than 3,700 people have entered Serbia since the beginning of the year,” noted Belgrade.

She added that, due to lack of safe and orderly roads and inadequate access to international protection, refugees and immigrants often travel with smugglers and are exposed to violence and exploitation.

The “collective losses, often associated with violence caused by border guards, are reported from all borders in the region.

“There is a need to support the two new arrivals, children and adults who are tired of a long journey and those who remain trapped in Serbia for months and years, facing high levels of stress and risks of worsening mental health due to uncertain prospects for their future,” concluded.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria has both experienced the influx of both an ecstasy of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum recently.

From just 185 in 2013, the number of registered refugee and unparent immigrants increased to 940 in 2014, increasing to 1,815 in 2015 and to 2,750 children who sought asylum in 2016.

Since then, the figures have dropped to only 48 May from 31st, according to data from the U. NHCR-Bulgaria.

These children often receive inadequate support.

“due to the lack of administrative, residential and financial capacities of social services, including language training and experience with unique and separated children, most of them have been arranged in the registration-accession centres, sometimes along with adults with whom they have no connections, without specialised care,” a spokesperson told BIRN UNHCR's.

Accompanied with lack of support to cover basic needs and financial assistance, which is common to all refugees and immigrants in Bulgaria, it increases their vulnerability to exploitation, abuse and trafficking.

Many unaccompanied children quickly leave their waiting centers and fall prey to smugglers.

U n The NHCR told BIRN that establishing a certain centre exclusively for unaccomplished and financing children from Norway has been under discussion since 2017 and should become funskional by 2019.

However, thousands of children are already out of control of Bulgarian authorities and are in the hands of smugglers and traffickers.

One reason for this is that while local municipalities should appoint representatives for unaccompanied children, they often do not do so, as they do not have staff, capacity, financial resources and training, a spokesperson said. U n NICEF-Bulgaria to BIRN.

“There is still no maintenance mechanism to allow the timely appointments of qualified and trained caregivers to protect the best interests of unique and divided children and ensure that their rights are not violated,” added U n NICEF.

Representatives were appointed to 613 unique asylum seekers in 2017, according to UNHCR data.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The total number of refugee children and immigrants, including single and divided children, remains low in Bosnia, according to the latest report released this month by the International Solidarity Forum coalition.

This includes Emmaus ( IFSEmmaus, Save the Children, SOS Kinderdorf, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Vision.

A total of 381 refugee and immigrant children have been identified in Bosnia in several countries from Sarajevo and Mostar to Sakovac and Bihac and Velika Kladusa in the northwest.

Of these 381, 29 are unique and divided children, all boys. Six are under 14, ten are 16 and 12 are 17 years old.

Most of them, 41 percent, are from Afghanistan; 21 percent are from Pakistan; 17 percent are from Syria; 7 percent are from Iraq; and 3 percent are from Palestine.

In Velika Kladusa, 37 other unaccompanied and divided children were identified but refused to be interviewed.

Of 12 children with various forms of limited physical and/or intellectual abilities, five were unaccompanied and divided children.

Most children, unaccompanied and associated, take refuge in collective centers, goobles, and nursing centers. Some stay in open - air parks or areas, according to this report.

Most of them are unaware of the dangers of mines left by the 1992-1995 war on their way through Bosnia, especially in the Una-Sana canton, near the border with Croatia, which is close to Bihac and Velika Kladusa.

Bosnia's Mine Action Centre says the region is one of the most affected areas of mines in Bosnia, especially the area near the border with Croatia.

The number of refugees and migrants arriving in Bosnia increased rapidly at the end of 2017.

In contrast to an average of 32 achievements per month registered between January and November, the number reached 198 in December.

This trend continued in 2018, and the number of registered settlers has doubled this month, increasing from 237 in January to 2,557 in May, according to the Bosnian Security Ministry.

Croatia

The data referring to Croatia that Jesus Ministry of Refugees, The JRS, a nonprofit humanitarian organisation, told BIRN that refugees who have received asylum in Croatia include about 130 children.

About 100 children of asylum seekers (who differ as families often leave Croatia before the procedure ends) are arranged at waiting centres in Kutina or Zagreb.

The JRS estimates that they include about ten underage refugees.

“In the absence of documents that reveal the identity and age of refugees, it is difficult to complete accurate data,” said Martina Prok from the JRS.

Children who stay with their parents within 30 days of applying for asylum must run tests to get involved in the school program, which begins with 70 hours of preparation classes. Children of preschool age may go to preschool or gardens.

Since life in waiting centers can be difficult for asylum seekers, The JRS provides support for families, focusing on women and children as the most vulnerable groups.

They offer language courses, inform refugees and emigrants of labour rights and organise socializations with locals and more.

The issue of children's involvement in society, as well as health care or education, is advancing to Croatia.

“Today it is much better than it was a few years ago, but there are still no systemic good solutions,” told BIRN Sara Kekus, from the Croatian Centre for Peace Studies, CMS, an NGO for human rights.

Unaccompanied children face special problems. Those under 14 have been sent to a house for abandoned children, and those over 14 end up in corrective institutions for children and young people usually focused on children and young people with behavioral and personality disorders.

This is a problem because these children are automatically classified as a problem group,” said Kekus.

As unaccompanied minors try to join their families, they soon leave Croatia to join their relatives in Western Europe. (reporter. Al)