AYS Daily Digest 25/04/19: Postcard from the Balkans
By: Caroline Brogden
Tags: Balkans, Digest, Bosnia, Refugees, Libya

Are You Syrious?

Apr 26

Number of children among people who are arriving to Europe is increasing // In 2018, the EU member states granted protection status to nearly 333,400 people // Amnesty International calls for war crimes investigation in Libya // IOM do not see cage in Bosnia // Violent death of a child in the center in Belgium

Samos. By Ruhi Loren

Pljevlja, Montenegro. By Bona Fide Pljevlja

Tuzla, Bosnia. By Samir Cupo

Velecevo, Bosnia. By Sanella Lepirica

These are all people who arrived to Europe this year looking for safety and the possibility to start an new life. During the first four months of 2019, 16,000 people arrived in Europe, among them over 3,800 children, or one in every four arrivals.

At the moment, UNICEF data shows there are 17,300 unaccompanied and separated children registered in Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

UNICEF reports also that many children on their way to Europe have experienced violence and abuse, while some are kept in detention.

In Greece — where during this year alone 2,077 children arrived — there are currently about 28,000 child asylum seekers (of whom 3,535 unaccompanied). The worst situation is for those kept in hot-spots.

UNICEF estimates that over half of the unaccompanied minors will turn 18 during this year, which will put them in even more dangerous situation, leaving them without some of the benefits they are entitled to as minors.

This is also the case for many children who came with their families, and whose parents saw their asylum claims rejected.

In Bosnia, which is turning into a hot-spot, over 3,600 people arrived (in Tuzla alone on Wednesday, over 200 people arrived) so far this year. It is estimated that some 6,500 people are in the country at the moment, and out of this number at least 19 per cent are children, and 7 per cent are unaccompanied children.

Living conditions for children, unaccompanied or not, pose serious safety and health risks. The number of children sleeping out in the open is high, though many are in temporary accommodation centres run by the IOM, but even there, basic care is limited.

At the same time, EUROSTAT published its latest data showing that during 2018, the EU member states granted protection status to nearly 333,400 asylum seekers, which is 40 per cent less than a year before.

Out of all the persons who were granted protection status in 2018 in the EU, 163,800 persons were granted refugee status (49% of all positive decisions), 100,300 were given subsidiary protection (30%) and 69,300 were given authorization to stay for humanitarian reasons (21%).

More than one-third of asylum decisions granted in the first instance made in the EU resulted in protection status.

In the same period of time, over 24,800 new asylum claims were filed in the member states.

Most of the people who were granted asylum in the EU are from Syria (96,100 persons, or 29% of the total number), followed by citizens of Afghanistan (53,500 or 16%) and those of Iraq (24,600 or 7%).

Most of the Syrians who got asylum are in Germany (67,000).