MEP urges Frontex to care for children refugees

MEP Marlene Mizzi has voiced her strong concerns with Frontex's role and responsibilities in closing the existing gaps in the community migration laws, data and statistics on children and unaccompanied minors that are irregularly crossing the EU border as migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.

Speaking in an exchange of views with Fabrice Leggeri the executive Director of Frontex, during a meeting of the Socialists and Democrats in Brussels, Mizzi emphasized the fact that a large number of children including unaccompanied minors, who are especially vulnerable, are on the move and on a daily basis cross the dangerous Mediterranean sea or walk thousands of kilometres, both within and between countries.

“The reality is that the conditions under which movement takes place are often putting migrant children at an increased risk of economic or sexual exploitation, abuse, neglect and violence,” she said.

"The unwanted effects of migration are especially felt by the migrant children who find themselves in an extremely vulnerable situation,” she added, stressing that unfortunately, the EU Policy responses to protect and support migrant children are often fragmented and inconsistent.  

She added that as a consequence, children, who are the real victims in this situation, are often left unnoticed and largely invisible in all the current debates on migration.

"There is no doubt that we will observe another minute of silence next time we see other disturbing pictures of dead children, or children freezing in the rain at the borders between the member states, but the time for talk is over, we really must do something for these children who are quickly becoming a lost generation.”

She urged Leggeri, to commit Frontex to provide some data and statistics on the actual situation of migrant children crossing the borders and to present a strategy of how best to defend children's rights and interests in this difficult situation

Leggeri responded that Frontex is currently working on different projects which would be implemented at sea and land borders in training border control authorities to be prepared to manage flow of vulnerable people, including numerous children.