Parliamentary questions
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10 February 2016
Question for oral answer O-000025/2016
to the Commission
Rule 128
Hilde Vautmans, Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea, María Teresa Giménez Barbat, Charles Goerens, Filiz Hyusmenova, Petr Ježek, Valentinas Mazuronis, Marian Harkin, Morten Helveg Petersen, Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Hannu Takkula, Maite Pagazaurtundúa Ruiz, Guy Verhofstadt, Sophia in 't Veld, António Marinho e Pinto, Urmas Paet, Gesine Meissner, Paavo Väyrynen, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Michael Theurer, Johannes Cornelis van Baalen, Marietje Schaake, Nils Torvalds, Philippe De Backer, Norica Nicolai, Ivo Vajgl, Javier Nart, Renate Weber, Fredrick Federley, Matthijs van Miltenburg, Jozo Radoš, Ulla Tørnæs, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Frédérique Ries, Louis Michel, Nedzhmi Ali, Robert Rochefort, Kaja Kallas, Angelika Mlinar, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Ulrike Müller, Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Jasenko Selimovic, Marielle de Sarnez, Dita Charanzová, on behalf of the ALDE Group

 Subject: According to Europol at least 10 000 refugee children are missing

At least 10 000 unaccompanied refugee children have disappeared after arriving in Europe and after registering with state authorities, according to Europol. Europol believes that 27 % of the million arrivals in Europe last year were minors. According to some aid organisations these figures are very conservative. It is assumed that pan-European gangs are targeting minors for sex work and slavery and even the organ trade.

1. Does the Commission have figures on how many unaccompanied minors are registered as refugees (by country and by age)?

2. Is there a specific follow-up being done with regard to these minors once they are registered?

3. What does the Commission intend to do to make sure that these ‘missing children’ do not end up in criminal environments against their will?

4. What is Europol doing to track and find these missing children and to save them from these criminal gangs?

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