Child welfare

Large numbers of unaccompanied minors continue to arrive in Greece, with one in three from Egypt. According to data until early April, 2,157 unaccompanied minors were registered and accommodated.

Police have arrested an 18-year-old student in Piraeus on suspicion of possessing child abuse material and offering it for sale.

Acting on information from foreign authorities, prosecutors began investigating the individual, who was offering sexual abuse material on the internet in exchange for payment or similar abuse material.

Families who see their child's success as a way out are going to great lengths to make their children famous, raising questions about the exploitative nature of this intense pursuit.

A document forwarded to Parliament on Wednesday by the Deputy Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Sofia Voultepsi, shows that a total of 4,255 children identified as homeless or in precarious living conditions have been housed in the last 2.5 years.

Amidst a concerning trend, Bulgaria grapples with an alarming surge in unaccompanied children seeking refuge within its borders. The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee (BHC) disclosed a staggering number—over 3,400 unaccompanied minors have sought protection in Bulgaria since the start of 2023.

A 42-year-old man was arrested in Athens on Saturday for torturing and abusing a 21-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man who are intellectually disabled, and posting the abuse online.

The suspect, who was arrested by officers from the Anti-Racist Violence Unit, is accused of causing bodily harm, verbal abuse and pimping, as well as breaching the weapons act.

Greece will receive an additional 42.2 million euros in funding from the European Union for two proposals - the protection of unaccompanied minors in Greece, and enforcing electronic surveillance at the borders by police, the Greek Migration and Asylum Ministry said on Monday, following a decision by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs.

More than 1,800 of the 1,914 unaccompanied minors taken under protection after the deadly Feb. 6 earthquakes have been handed over to their families, the Family and Social Services Ministry has announced.

An investigation group commissioned by the parliament has prepared a report listing the measures to be taken to "intervene and eliminate child abuse risks," after a shocking case of a woman who was forced to marry at the tender age of 6 came to the forefront.

A voluntary scheme by European Union member states to accept unaccompanied migrant children from Greece officially ended Tuesday, raising concern over delays still facing the bloc in hammering out a comprehensive new migration agreement.