36 minors from Syria, Iran disappear in Albania

The Centre for Children's Rights in Albania has publicly expressed its concern after media reports released to the State Police, that only over the past 6 months 36 unaccompanied foreign children have disappeared in the direction of indictees.

Eric Hazizaj, from the Centre for Children's Rights in Albania, says that unaccompanied children are at risk for trafficking for sexual purposes, slavery or even organ trafficking and Albanian authorities are tasked with physical security, protection and development.

These are children from countries like Syria and Iran. Unaccompanied children are always at risk of trafficking for sexual purposes, slavery, or even organ trafficking. The fact that they are in Albania, Albanian authorities, have their physical security, protection and development as duty. But the fact that they have disappeared shows where they are that local authorities and their associates have failed to protect the lives and welfare of these children.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child, where Albania has been a party state since 1992, requires that the state take all measures that ensure the right to life, survival and development” without any discrimination for all children on the territory of the Republic of Albania. “The child unaccompanied by the parent or guardian has the right to return, at a time as quickly as possible with them. Return to the country of origin is only in the child's highest interest. ”

As of the above, we ask the responsible authorities, the Interior Ministry, State Police, Prosecutor Tirana, as well as the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, to urgently investigate the loss of 36 children who result missing and why unaccompanied foreign children, in defense of the Albanian state, can lose or disappear and no one accountable for them”- says Hazij/ TCh/