Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1463840
14 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 6 APRIL 2022 NEWS UKRAINE CONFLICT These articles are part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. These articles reflect only the authors' view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. Ukrainian child refugees face trafficking peril as MEPs call for action SEBASTIAN VASSALLO THE European Commission and the French Presidency of the Council have developed a 10-point plan to help safeguard children and young people who are fleeing the war in Ukraine. Temporary protection status was activated for refugees from Ukraine, giving them temporary residence rights and access to education and the labour mar- ket in the European Union. The plan includes an EU reg- istration platform and coordi- nation on transport, as well as specific guidelines for the re- ception and support of children in cooperation with the Europe- an Union Agency for Asylum. It also includes a common an- ti-trafficking to keep children and young people away from abusers. "We are hearing worse and worse news every day, and we are not talking about what's happening at the front. This macabre scene on the streets. It seems day by day there's a fight between humanity and evil," said socialists and democrats president Iratxe García Pérez. Commission Vice President Dubravka Šuica said children's rights were human rights, and that every child deserves to grow up safe and happy. "Children are still trapped in shelters, braving bombing and gunfire. Look at what has hap- pened in Bucha," Šuica said, re- ferring to the grisly discovery of mass graves and many civilians summarily executed, raped and mutilated. "Due to the war and ensuing mass exodus of people from Ukraine unaccompanied mi- nors and children are at high risk of abuse and exploitation, legal guardians should be as- signed as quickly as possible and foster families should be vetted so that children don't end up with abusers, we need systems for education, health- care and psychosocial support," Šuica said. Ylva Johansson, Commission- er for Home Affairs, that ap- proximately 2 million children had escaped Ukraine with their lives, but now faced a new dan- ger of trafficking. "There are no confirmed cases yet, but we know from bitter experience that the danger is real," she said Johansson explained how Eu- ropol has set up a specific task force to combat human traffick- ing and they are training border guards specifically to identify cases of trafficking. MEP Ewa Kopaczof (EPP) said the EP had to give chidlren ref- ugees everything that the Rus- sian aggression deprived them of. However Kopacz warned against naivété; "there will be people that will try and make use of the victims of this war." García Pérez highlighted that all parties concerned shouldn't forget that children were still children, "they need places to play, they need school, they need psychosocial support." She said the onus was on the EU to ensure refugees are evac- uated safely because "there are people that pretend to help and instead exploit women and children... Although some may think it seems unattainable, everyone should continue to strive for a world built of peace and solidarity." Jadwiga Wiśniewska (ECR), despite sharing in her condem- nation of the horrors emerging daily and also equal in her con- viction to protect the children, struck out at EU hypocrisy. "In the last few weeks two and a half million Ukrainians have fled to Poland, and some 160,000 chil- dren have access to the Polish educational system... we have received two and a half million refugees but what funds have we received?" "We have all this emotional talk, but what is the EU doing?, Sanctioning Poland!" Wiśniews- ka said said, referring to Article 7 actions against Poland over rule of law breaches. "If MEPs are talking about human rights, they are being violated because the sanctions are not effective." Following the Russian in- vasion of Ukraine, more than four million people have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge elsewhere, mostly in neighboring EU countries, namely Poland, Romania, Hun- gary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. as well as in the Re- public of Moldova. According to UNICEF almost half of those fleeing the conflict are minors who need enhanced protection, as they run a bigger risk of fall- ing victim to trafficking and ex- ploitation. European Commission and the French Presidency's 10-point plan to protect children and young people f leeing violence