Growing crisis for refugee and migrant children

13.9.2016

Question for written answer E-006849-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Dimitrios Papadimoulis (GUE/NGL)

A shocking new Unicef report, entitled: ‘Uprooted: The growing crisis for refugee and migrant children’ reveals that almost 50 million children have been uprooted and millions more migrate in the hope of creating a better and safer life for themselves. On top of their wounds from the conflicts and the violence in the countries from which they escape, these children face more dangers, such as drowning while crossing the sea, malnutrition and dehydration, human trafficking, kidnapping, rape, even murder. What is more, the report states that even though children constitute one third of the global population, they constitute some 50% of all refugee populations.

Given the above data and taking into account that an increasing number of children cross the borders unaccompanied:

• —What action has the Commission taken to protect the refugee and migrant children in the recipient countries?

According to the report, Turkey hosts the highest total number of recent refugees and most probably the highest number of refugee children in the world. On 8 September 2016, the Commission announced an aid programme of EUR 348 million for refugees to Turkey.

— What percentage of this fund is provided for targeted actions for the children, such as education and healthcare services?