They are simply gone: 82.5 percent of the children who fled to Austria disappear. Human trafficking and forced prostitution included. “It is shocking that this is not being investigated,” said Stephan Handl, a lawyer at Amnesty International. Although written as mandatory in the government program, the issue of custody still falls by the wayside. In the live conversation with moderator Conny Winiwarter, Handl vents his anger: “The federal government is shifting responsibility and shrugging its shoulders at the missing children.”
If more than 7,000 Austrian children disappeared, there would be loud screaming, says Handl. In the case of refugee children, ‘people shrug their shoulders’. They say nothing can be done about it. But is that right? “Of course not,” said the lawyer. The responsibility lies with the federal government. According to the legislation in force, this must provide a roof, a bed and medical care for all children.
82.5 percent of refugee children simply disappear
That this is not exactly successful is shown by the following figures: 9,347 children applied for asylum from January to September 2022. Of these, 7,713 procedures were stopped because the children had disappeared.
No clear rule of authority
In fact, children should be transferred to state institutions after three weeks at the latest. From that moment on, child and youth care can take over authority. However, theory and practice are two worlds apart: the children stay much longer in the large camps, such as in Traiskirchen. As long as they are in federal institutions, “child and youth services cannot take custody under applicable law.” A big problem, Handl sums up.
‘No one feels responsible in Austria’
Due to this, there is no one to take care of the upbringing, care and education of the children. This is also problematic in the health sector: “Who decides on medical interventions for the child?” throws Handl into the room. Legal aid only exists in the asylum procedure. Austria has committed itself in the government program to grant custody “as soon as possible”. The law proposed by Minister of Justice Alma Zadic (Greens) is here. But it won’t run. “Lack of staff, overtime and a lack of financial resources” made implementation difficult.
Conversations at the Federal Level: “Sobering”
According to Handl, the federal government must release the financial resources. If it is up to the lawyer, the rates for childcare should also be increased: “They have not been increased since 2016.” Discussions have already taken place at the federal level. With a sobering result: “It’s a matter of shifting responsibility back and forth,” says Handl angrily. And he refers to the applicable children’s rights treaty: “Austria must comply with it.” Because refugee children also have the right “to be able to admire a Christmas tree instead of being forced into prostitution”.
You can see the entire interview with Stephan Handl in the video above. KroneLIVE can be seen from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m.
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Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
