Source: RTS
Photo: RTS
Video: RTS

The wars in Gaza and Ukraine continue to have devastating consequences for children, who make up nearly a third of all victims, according to global human trafficking statistics. Over 50,000 children have been killed or injured in Gaza alone. Radoš Đurović from the Asylum Protection Center says that children are also disappearing along the Balkan migration route, where last year there were as many as 22,000 unaccompanied minors. Marija Anđelković from the “Astra” association points out that children separated from their parents during migration are at even greater risk. In many cases, parents have already reached certain European countries, while their children remain on the route.
Around two million children fled Ukraine for Europe at the beginning of the war. Currently, there are about six million refugees in Europe, 88% of whom are women and children.
Radoš Đurović highlights that around 21,000 children are missing in Gaza. Reports indicate that more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured. Nearly every child has been displaced -homes destroyed, families torn apart, and their childhoods forever scarred by deep trauma.
Marija Anđelković stresses that human trafficking is a grim reality, especially in times of war, which, as she explains, is one of the largest “push” factors that force individuals into trafficking networks, alongside poverty, economic hardship, and natural disasters. “The reality is that children make up more than 50% of all identified human trafficking victims,” warns Anđelković.

When a Child Goes Missing in a Refugee Camp
In war and exile, whether in Gaza or along the migration route, children are the most vulnerable, and their presence demands special care. However, Đurović points out that it’s common for children to go missing even along the Balkan route. The first point of contact in such cases is usually the camp administration.
“The organization running the camp and the police, if law enforcement is available, get involved. Then, an international organization, if present at the camp, starts the search process for the child. But very often, when such incidents occur, no results are achieved,” explains Đurović.
He reminds us that the reasons children go missing in camps, aside from war and violence, include traffickers, lack of information, poor conditions in the camps, separation from primary family members, and children’s desire to reunite with them. Sometimes, it is also due to the absence of adequate protection and guardianship. These are some of the main factors contributing to the disappearance of children.
Anđelković particularly emphasizes that war zones are often used to hide various illegal activities, including human trafficking, primarily because it’s difficult to gather evidence during active conflict.
“Thus, what often happens is that women and girls are trafficked as sex slaves in war zones. We also have cases where children are forced to participate in combat, coerced into committing crimes, or exploited for labor,” she explains.
She adds that children separated from their families are most often targeted by criminal groups.

Can International Organizations Track Every Child?
Đurović explains that international organizations do not have the capacity to track every child, and this is reflected in the daily reality. In this regard, the most significant effort is the International Red Cross, which operates a network to search for missing persons, not just children, and tries to establish corridors along major migration routes.
“However, when a child goes missing and is undocumented, many children have no papers and are often in an illegal status, even in the camps. Legally, they are invisible. When such a child goes missing, especially if they are a foreigner, local governments and institutions often lack the resources or time to address the issue. We see this both along the Balkan route and in our surrounding areas,” Đurović explains.
That said, he acknowledges that there are positive moments when children are found, but the statistics are worrying. In 2015, during the peak of the migration wave, Europol registered over 10,000 missing children who entered our country alone.

Some Children Never Make Contact Again
Anđelković points out that the “Astra” organization runs a hotline for missing children and highlights that during migration surges, reports of missing children increase by 70 She stresses that these children are at an increased risk, as parents try to reconnect with their children.
“In many cases, this is successful. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s not. In many cases, parents have already reached a European country, such as Germany or Austria, while their children are still on the route. We manage to reunite them through the International Red Cross and other organizations, as well as government institutions, but the issue is still not addressed systemically,” she says.
Đurović adds that some children never re-establish contact, some end up in criminal exploitation networks, and some tragically lose their lives during the journey, which is deeply unsettling.
“This is an institutional struggle. Networking along migration routes, such as the Balkan route, is essential. Last year, over 22,000 unaccompanied minors were identified along this route. This highlights the need for better coordination between institutions, police, and social services to track and report this issue,” concludes Đurović.

You can read the full article at the following link: https://www.rts.rs/vesti/drustvo/5782213/rat-migracije-deca-balkanska-ruta.html