Debate: EU Protection of children and young people fleeing the war against Ukraine
Date: TUESDAY, 5 APRIL 2022
Speaker: Ylva Johansson
Language: EN

About two million children have escaped Ukraine with their lives. Many children now face a new danger, a danger I warned of here in plenary last time we met here in Strasbourg nearly one month ago: the danger of trafficking. Your resolution shows that you share my concerns. The Lithuanian authorities are investigating the possible trafficking of 43 children for adoption. There are no confirmed cases yet, but we know from bitter experience that the danger is real.  Children are at the top of our agenda, key among the ten priorities I presented at the extraordinary Council last week, priorities for welcoming people fleeing the war. Our aim is to protect children from war zone to safe home. Last month, Member States pledged to welcome more than 15 500 Ukrainian refugees from Moldova, and 512 have now arrived in the EU, many of them children. My services are working on standard operating procedures for transferring unaccompanied minors between Member States, making clear, when registering, relocating and referring children, we must never forget that they are children and keep their best interests in mind.  The EU Agency for Asylum will play a central role. We are working with the Agency on common guidance and standards, and I cannot praise UNICEF enough for the great job they are doing, protecting children in the EU and in Ukraine. Since day one, I’ve been working to prevent trafficking, starting at the EU border, where 282 Frontex staff are helping to identify people at risk or from trafficking. Europol is gathering intelligence, coordinating police cooperation, and monitoring online activities by potential traffickers and people trying to exploit the services of victims.  Europol has set up a specific task force against trafficking in human beings to work with law enforcement in Ukraine and in EU countries along the border. Many Member States are warning against the dangers of trafficking with websites and hotlines, handing out leaflets at train stations, and increasing police presence. Our Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) is teaching border guards, police and others to identify potential victims and traffickers. We have issued calls to use our EU funds to prevent and fight trafficking and support victims.  Last July, I appointed Diane Schmitt as EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator. Right away, in the first week of war, she activated a network of national rapporteurs against trafficking of human beings, and they have already met twice. She visited Romania and Poland, together with your Intergroup on Children’s Rights, and she’s doing a very important job in these days.  Our priority now is registration, registration, registration. We need to know where these children are – all 2 million. Not one child can go missing. The Member States need to step up on registration. EU-LISA is starting technical work to put in place a platform so that Member States can exchange information, a platform for registration. We also need to register providers of housing and transport so refugees know who is safe, who they can trust.  As my colleague, Vice—President Dubravka Šuica, has just said, we have set up the solidarity platform to coordinate efforts. It has met twice a week since the war started. Soon the solidarity platform will meet in a session dedicated to protecting children to discuss issues Member States can only address together: how to trace children, boosting registration in Member States of arrival and destination, reception capacities for children, including children with disabilities, and cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities. To endorse an action plan against trafficking of human beings, we must also work on family reunification.  Our great challenge still lies ahead of us. The longer this war goes on, the greater the risk to children. And just imagine that you are a Ukrainian mother or father, looking at your three children and having to take a very, very difficult decision. Should we keep the children here, where we know they are in danger, or should we send them with our friend and her two children, who will soon leave on a potentially dangerous journey to the European Union, knowing the risk that this might be the last time we see our children. So many Ukrainian parents have been forced to take this very, very difficult decision. These Ukrainian parents want us to keep their children safe. They count on us. So let’s show them that they can count on us.