International NGO Save the Children warns that the EU’s tougher border rules are forcing unaccompanied minors into the grip of traffickers.
He left Sudan more than two years ago and only managed to reach Crete this spring.
“During the war, I witnessed things myself,” the young refugee says. “The rebel army stormed our neighbour’s home and took the children. Some never came back. It was risky because there was no food or water. Anything could happen, and you had nobody but God to depend on. The conditions in prison were terrible as we had no water most of the time.”
More than four million Sudanese children have been forced from their homes since the conflict began over two years ago. Some remain displaced within Sudan, while others escaped to different countries.
Save the Children spoke with dozens of young people running from the war. They shared stories of painful journeys made even harder by tighter border security.
Many refugees travel through Egypt and Libya, nations funded by the European Union to stop more migrants from heading to Europe. But despite the danger, people continue the risky Mediterranean crossing, and the number of children keeps rising.
According to Save the Children, strict EU migration policies are pushing vulnerable minors toward human traffickers and out of reach from humanitarian support.
