Thousands of children journey into the unknown

 Kathimerini investigates the dangers faced by unaccompanied immigrant minors in Greece

By Yiannis Papadopoulos

As the people carrier parks at the port of Mytilene on Lesvos in the eastern Aegean, the passengers crack open the curtain to get a glimpse of the docked ferry boat. Eight teenage boys peer through the glass. After 70 days spent in detention at the Identification Center of the Greek Police, these young Afghans are being transferred to a hostel in Athens. Some carry their scant belongings in plastic bags; none have laces in their shoes - removed by the police for the inmates' safety. All abandoned hearth and home to make the journey to Greece - alone.

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