'Child protection systems are simply failing' - Unicef responds to Lord's unaccompanied minors report
Responding to the EU Home Affairs Committee on Unaccompanied Minors in the EU, Lily Caprani, Deputy Executive Director for Unicef UK, said:
“This report shows that unaccompanied children are being systematically let down. Child protection systems are simply failing them and they are forced to take matters into their own hands, exposing them to greater risks. It is vital that children are able to reunite with their families in the UK safely and legally, to protect them from being pushed into the hands of traffickers and smugglers. And, after they’ve been reunited, they must not be completely forgotten.
“It’s great to see the Committee echoing our call for the rest of the UK to follow Scotland’s lead in implementing a system of independent guardians to support unaccompanied children. And the Committee is right to call for long-term solutions for the unaccompanied refugee and migrant children who come to the UK. Investing in protection services for these children will benefit not only them but their families and communities in the long run.”
