Unaccompanied minors’ plight better, issues remain

Large numbers of unaccompanied minors continue to arrive in Greece, with one in three from Egypt. According to data until early April, 2,157 unaccompanied minors were registered and accommodated.

“The data provided by official statistics is the tip of the iceberg in relation to the real dimension of the phenomenon of homelessness of unaccompanied children who arrive in Greece but also in Europe,” noted Eirini Nika, coordinator of the project to improve the National Center for Social Solidarity (EKKA) capabilities via the National Child Protection Line.

Around 7% of unaccompanied minors arriving in Greece are under 14 years old and 87% are boys. The agencies that operate the hospitality structures face constant issues of long delays in funding.

In terms of registration, and housing, progress has been made in recent years, as the National Mechanism for locating, registering and transferring unaccompanied children to long-term hosting structures has been operational since April 2021.