According to UNICEF, there are 1,800 minor migrants living in hardship conditions in Greece due to overcrowded conditions in reception centres on the country's islands.
Only one-third of minor migrants in Greece are receiving adequate shelter and assistance, according to UNICEF. "The recent sudden rise of migrant arrivals in Greece has worsened the situation of overcrowding in reception centres on the islands, where 1,800 children or unaccompanied minors are living in conditions of hardship," it said.
The UN agency is calling for policies and reforms to help ensure the safety of vulnerable minors, who are forced in some cases to live on the street, with winter just around the corner.
Compromised safety and well-being
UNICEF said as of September of this year, there were more than 5,700 arrivals registered in Greece, compared to an estimated 3,080 in September 2016. Due to this situation, some of the reception centres for unaccompanied minors on the country's islands are hosting at double their capacity, compromising the children's safety and well-being. It said the children are particularly vulnerable at night, without adequate safeguards. The number of unaccompanied minor migrants in Greece rose during the summer - from 2,300 at the end of June to 2,850 at the end of September.
There are currently an estimated 19,000 child migrants and refugees in Greece, and unaccompanied minors make up 15 percent of total child arrivals. The long wait times for transferring the minors to the mainland (up to five months) are compounding the children's mental and psychological stress.
Appeal for "shelter for children"
"Children without families who are blocked should have shelter, assistance, and adequate protection, and there are solutions to achieve these goals," said Laurent Chapuis, UNICEF's coordinator for the refugee and migrant response in Greece. "Unaccompanied minors blocked on the islands should be transferred to shelters on the mainland without delay; the shelters that respect already-existing standards should receive available funds and there's a need for more foster families and supervised housing. All of this can be done," Chapuis said.
UNICEF is also calling for urgent legal and political reforms to strengthen community-based assistance, following years of economic difficulties in Greece.