Immigrant children vanish from care, EU study finds

EACH year thousands of children who arrive in EU countries as immigrants disappear despite being placed in state care, according to a study carried out by a Swiss child rights body.

In some cases, up to half disappear within 48 hours, either frightened off by deliberate state practices of making them unwelcome or taken by traffickers who prey on the children.

The group, Terre des Hommes, carried out detailed investigations in four countries – Belgium, France, Spain and Switzerland – but their findings relate to all EU countries, Bernard Boeton said at a press conference in Brussels.