Who cares about refugees and their children?

My article on missing refugee and migrant children in Europe received far more attention than I expected. Europe, which in any case takes every measure regarding the admission of refugees, finds its most striking reflection, in the number of missing children, of the great indifference it displays toward the children of those refugees who have managed to enter its countries by chance.

One of the questions I received about my article was what the report says about Turkey's situation on this matter. In the report prepared by Istanbul Deputy and AKPM Member Serap Yaşar, there is no statistic on missing refugee children specifically for Turkey. Either no record was kept, or the rate of missing children in this regard does not differ significantly from the loss of children among ordinary resident people.

It would have befitted Turkey, which displays the indisputably most humane approach to the refugee issue among the countries of the world, that a Turkish deputy put her signature to a report that brings the issue of refugee children in Europe to the agenda. After all, taking to heart the troubles of those who are unable to defend their rights, who have truly been subjected to oppression, who have been victimized and driven from their homelands, is among the most basic conditions of being human. We would say that whoever does not care about it should not call himself human, but unfortunately the world is full of precisely such people who merely look human.

The report in fact lays out a very striking, painful and clear picture of missing refugee children in Europe. When we stir our humane side a little and pay attention to this situation, with its reality that no one notices, that, since they are refugees anyway, strikes our most indifferent sides and goes back, when we manage, for example, to put ourselves to some extent in their place, the gravity of the situation is felt.

A friend of ours, on reading this situation, which he described as "A great catastrophe. This tragic situation is a case as painful as this corona," asked: "As a result of this report, is there any criminal liability for the countries where the loss occurred? Or does it not go beyond establishing that they are missing? Are the numbers of girls or boys known? Should it not be pursued relentlessly? How will a result come about?"

In truth, this report, which was put to a vote and adopted in AKPM, is itself of the nature of legislation that will henceforth be taken as a reference for reaching decisions in applications to be made to the AİHM on this matter. For that reason the report itself is quite important in itself in terms of bringing this issue to the agenda and creating a sensitivity. Although it would have been better for Serap Yaşar to carry this issue a little further and roll up her sleeves for a more general report within AKPM, even as it stands it fulfills this function.

In addition, the report also recommends, addressed to all AB governments, some measures that need to be taken on this matter. According to the report's findings, children make use of human smugglers in order to reach a safer region. The children have to pay high sums to smugglers. These children try to earn money mostly by getting involved in crimes such as illegal labor, prostitution or drug dealing. The number of children who go missing in Europe and are separated from their families is estimated at around 100 thousand. Children face the threat of sexual abuse, rape, human trafficking, violence, slavery and the organ mafia. Steps must be determined to be taken to prevent the loss of children's lives and to register missing children and reunite them with their families. Some of these steps are:

1. The basic rights and needs of children must be met, taking into account the special requirements concerning their protection,

2. Parents, family members and friends must be given the information necessary to apply to child protection services and the police when a child refugee or migrant goes missing,

3. Research on cases of disappearance of migrant and refugee children must be supported and developed,

4. International cooperation between police and judicial authorities must be increased in order to prevent the disappearance of child refugees and migrants,

5. The work of civil society organizations that help find missing children must be supported,

6. Missing child refugees and migrants must be included in Interpol's yellow notices and made the subject of alerts in the Schengen Information System,

7. It must be ensured that refugee and migrant children stay with their families as far as possible,

8. National and regional media, including the press, audiovisual media and social networks, must be alert to the situation concerning the disappearance of refugee and migrant children and awareness must be raised.

9. Registered children need special protection. Those who are undocumented are also completely deprived of laws and protection. National parliaments and governments must also fulfill their responsibilities in preventing children from vanishing and going missing in the hands of criminal organizations, and in ensuring that children benefit from protection and care as migrants and refugees…)

10. It is stated that unaccompanied child refugees and migrants are particularly vulnerable because they are outside the care and protection of their parents, and in this context member states must ensure the following:

a. Active searches must be carried out to find the parents in order to reunite refugee and migrant children with their families.

b. Effective and easily accessible mechanisms (such as help lines) must be provided to the guardians appointed to unaccompanied child refugees and migrants so as to contact child protection services and the police immediately when a child goes missing.

It is nevertheless very important that these recommendations were put to AB member states in such a report.