Afghan children found living in Rome railway tunnels

Rome’s mayor has ordered an investigation after two dozen Afghan children were found living in wretched conditions in tunnels under train stations around the city.

Italian news reports today said rail police discovered the children during a routine inspection of Rome’s three main train stations. They were believed to be aged between 14 and 16 years.

Mayor Gianni Alemanno called the discovery “serious and shocking” and said he was ordering an investigation to determine how the children came to be living in such conditions.

He said in a statement that he had told officials to make sure a similar episode did not happen again.

The children were handed over to social services agencies.