The 6th of April marks the fifth International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. For protecting children in vulnerable situations, Terre des hommes counts on sports as a strong tool which has a positive psychological and social impact on children.

Thousands of asylum seekers are trapped in crowded and filthy processing centers on the Greek Islands, with many spending the winter in lightweight tents or even sleeping outside on the ground. Greece contends it has to keep the asylum seekers on the islands because a March 2016 agreement between the European Union (EU) and Turkey provides that asylum seekers who arrive by boat from Turkey should be sent back there to have their asylum claims processed.

More than 13,500 asylum seekers remain trapped on the Greek islands in deplorable conditions as winter begins on December 21, 2017, Terre des hommes said today. 

The Greek government, with the support of European Union leaders, should act now before the onset of winter to end Greece’s “containment policy,” 12 human rights and humanitarian organizations said in a campaign that began today.

(Athens, November 22, 2017) – The Greek government, with the support of EU member states, should act now to end Greece’s “containment policy,” 20 human rights and aid groups said today. The policy forces asylum seekers arriving on the Greek islands to remain in overcrowded, unsafe facilities, an urgent concern with winter approaching.

For a year,  more than 2900 children and 1600 caregivers benefited from our safe space in Belgrade and its services, ranging from psychological support and counselling to recreational activities, and sanitary facilities. 

Starting November 2016 until June 2017, Terre des hommes and the Bulgarian Red Cross succeeded in improving the daily lives of hundreds of children and young people living in three Reception Centres of the State Agency for Refugees in Sofia.

In Macedonia, Terre des hommes, together with its partner Open Gate La Strada, works with children and families who are in transit centres. We provide the affected children with psychosocial support and information. Our mobile teams also organise humanitarian aid in the field and monitor the informal transit places of refugees to help the ones in need.

Within the framework of Mario Project, a Greek delegation, led by Mr. George Moschos, Deputy Ombudsman in charge of children’s rights and the representatives of ARSIS Organisation met with the Chairperson of the State Agency for Child Protection (SACP) – Ms Ofelia Kaneva, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria – Ms. Maya Manolova and the Secretary of the National Commission for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings (NCCTHB) – Ms. Kamelia Dimitrova. The reprsentatives discussed the possibility to reach a bilateral agreement between the Greek and Bulgarian authorities addressing the problems of Bulgarian children in street situation in Greece, unaccompanied minors, migrant and refugee children.

Neglected Children Society – ECPAT Bulgaria initiated and organized the visits of the Greek delegation as part of the implementation of Mario Project in Bulgaria. 

Through the analysis of the situation at the border and in the pre-transit zone of Hungary,
this report gives evidence on the inappropriate treatment of migrant families with children
and urges authorities to address the insupportable situation. The report recommends
Hungarian authorities to provide migrant families and UAMs with humane and child friendly
reception condition and basic services at the border.