The refugee children of Idomeni: alone, far from home but clinging to hope

Refugees:  They have fled their wartorn homelands in Syria and Afghanistan. Now they are stuck in northern Greece – so close to a new life
Hundreds of unaccompanied minors have gathered in Idomeni since the border was arbitrarily slammed shut by Macedonia in February. Effectively abandoned by Europe, these children are trapped in a wretched state of suspended animation. If they officially register with the Greek authorities, they are taken by the police; reports of prolonged detention in custody and alleged mistreatment are commonplace. Should they choose to enter Macedonia illegally, they risk being severely beaten by the country’s notorious border patrol.

Life inside the sprawling camp of 10,000 refugees is fraught. Criminal syndicates rule by extortion and the threat of violence. People-smugglers operate with absolute impunity. 
Many of the unaccompanied children have simply vanished, according to volunteers at the site. There is no audit or clue to where these scores of children have ended up, or who they are with.

Some are caught by Macedonian police or military and forced back to Greece through a tiny gap in the razor-wire border fence in aggressive operations known to the camp’s residents as “pushbacks”. Munir, a 15-year-old from Herat,Afghanistan, described being pinned down by Macedonian police a week ago and beaten with a truncheon so ferociously they broke his arm. As dusk drew in on Thursday night, the teenager, his left arm heavily bandaged, set off again towards the border.

It is children like Munir whom the British government will seek to resettle in the UK, after David Cameron was forced last week to quash a growing rebellion from his backbench MPs and allow more vulnerable child refugees sanctuary in the UK. The prime minister remains reticent about how many, but up to 3,000 children might be offered the chance of a fresh start. From Monday, councils will be contacted by Home Office officials and told they should be prepared to accept unaccompanied minors from Greece, Italy and France

In the meantime, more will go missing. Hours after Cameron announced his U-turn, teenager Musab confided that he would be attempting to cross the border the following night. The 17-year-old planned to stuff the pockets of his Adidas tracksuit full of bread and then hope for the best.

The perils of the journey north to western Europe from Idomeni are frequently discussed. Macedonia is referred to with dread among the child refugees. Rumours include accounts from refugees caught crossing the country of being held down in puddles which are then Tasered to give them an electric shock, a technique that enables torture without leaving any physical marks. Then there are the “attack dogs”, the tales of fearsome animals trained to maul migrants, the vigilante mobs and the rugged, remote tracks they must follow to avoid being spotted. 

Smugglers operate without restriction inside Idomeni. Their fees are common knowledge among the camp’s inhabitants. Currently, the cheapest deals with guide included are £630 to Serbia, £1,900 to Austria or Germany, with the camp’s premium package – £2,750 – involving a false passport, relevant forged paperwork and the opportunity to fly direct to France, Sweden or Germany. Smugglers can readily be found at Idomeni’s disused railway station, haggling with refugees who have lost hope the border will ever reopen. - Read More at the Guardian
The refugee children of Idomeni: alone, far from home but clinging to hope

Unaccompanied refugee and migrant children in Europe ‘falling between the cracks’ – UNICEF