/ world today news/ “If Europe has the claim of humanity, then its highest form should be the care of those who are most vulnerable – the children”.
This was stated by the chairman of the BSP, Mihail Mikov, during the conference “Unaccompanied minors and minor refugees in the EU and Bulgaria – social challenges and necessary solutions”, organized at the initiative of MEP Iliana Yotova and the Delegation of Bulgarian Socialists in the EP. “The wave of refugees puts the countries of the south of Europe at serious risk and requires a much greater solidarity from the EU and all its member states.” He emphasized that it is a question of solidarity in border protection, care and support of refugees and especially the children among them. Mikov was adamant that funds should be provided for special protection, care, support and institutional care. “Europe, the EP, the EC must know that the countries that are under strong refugee pressure make an additional contribution to make the EU what we want it to be – with protected external borders. Refugees are not only labor potential and energy for the EU economy, but they are also a big test that is not the same for all countries”, the leader of the left was categorical.
Mikov said that Europe can give the strongest sign of humanity when it brings out the subject of minors and minor refugees so that it is given special attention, funding, treatment and care. “Otherwise, only the speeches will remain, and the children coming from poverty areas in Africa and Asia will disappear from the places intended for refugees, will fall into the hands of the black sector. We as a society cannot and must not allow this to happen”, concluded Mihail Mikov.
Iliana Yotova: Our steps today depend on what kind of grown-up children we will live with tomorrow
“Over 600,000 Syrian children are in Turkey, according to the authorities in Ankara, and in Bulgaria, only in the first eight months of this year, over 1,100 children without parents fleeing conflicts were registered. 23 thousand children without parents entered the European Union in 2014,” announced the organizer of the conference, BSP/PES MP Iliana Yotova. “It’s cynical to pretend we don’t see this problem. It is precisely for this reason that we must act now, because our steps today depend on how we will live tomorrow with these grown-up children”, urged Yotova.
The MEP explained that for a long time Europe was only an observer of what was happening, until the tragedy in Lampedusa, when more than 300 people died, and only then did a reaction follow. However, according to her, a lot of time had been lost up to this point, and events had very quickly overtaken decision-making. Yotova explained that Europe had legislation in the field of migration and asylum, adopted on the eve of the crisis, but already outdated and not working. She emphasized that some countries still do not apply it, which is why the EC has filed over 46 cases against them. As the most eloquent example, she gave the Dublin Regulation, which definitely needs to be fundamentally changed, which does not work in the part of protecting refugee children.
Iliana Yotova emphasized that the European Migration Program was adopted only in the middle of this year, but unfortunately the measures included in it do not work. “The new routes and the situation in the Western Balkans have created new crisis points and practically call into question one of Europe’s greatest conquests – Schengen,” she said. According to her, many member states are closing their borders, but this will not solve the problem
Atanas Merdzhanov: Refugee children are, above all, children and they need care
“Unaccompanied children need special care, which is important both for them, who have the right to childhood, education and care, and for society as a whole.” This was stated during the conference by the deputy chairman of the PG of BSP LEFT BULGARIA Atanas Merdzhanov. He emphasized that children left to their own devices on the street become victims and, in turn, can then become aggressors. “Minors and minors who seek asylum on the territory of Europe are first children and then refugees”, said the socialist and explained that, therefore, the Bulgarian legislation accepted the care for them no differently from the way in which the care for the local children without their parents. “According to the law on refugees, for a minor or a minor foreigner seeking or receiving asylum on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, a guardian, trustee is appointed according to the Family Code”, explained Merdzhanov. He added that this turned out to be insufficient. Merdzhanov recalled that the 42nd National Assembly had prepared changes in two directions: for the child who sought asylum in Bulgaria, a representative should be appointed by the director of the Social Assistance Agency, and the powers of this representative allow him to represent him before all administrative bodies – social , health, education. Merdzhanov explained that due to the early termination of the mandate of the parliament, the law was not adopted, it was re-submitted to the current National Assembly, but it was not supported by the government.
Cecil Kashetu Kienge: We cannot deny refugee children a future
Cecil Kashetu Kienge, co-rapporteur of the EP on the strategic initiative report “The situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a comprehensive EU approach to migration”, emphasized that in Bulgaria the refugee problem is given a lot of attention, which is very important, because silence cannot and will not there must be.
Kienge said that every time she hears about another tragedy involving children, she puts herself in their shoes and knows that it could have been her when she fled her homeland of Congo. According to her, these children are fleeing conflicts, persecution, poverty – we cannot deny a future to children seeking salvation and needing our help. She emphasized that if these children are not helped to find refuge and care, they will fall into the hands of traffickers and disappear. She was categorical that measures should be taken not only by the EU, but also by countries in Africa, because after a military conflict it is most important to reconstruct society so that an entire generation is not lost.
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