PRESS RELEASE: The 2020 Child10 Award

Tens of thousands of children forced to flee towards Europe during the last few years have either been exposed to or are at great risk of being exposed to child trafficking and exploitation.
Closed borders, lack of cross-national coordination and the dire and inhumane living conditions in refugee camps and child-care centers put children at particularly high risk of becoming victims of trafficking, forced labor, human smuggling, criminal activity, and sexual exploitation and abuse.

Today, thousands of children are in danger of disappearing and becoming untraceable in transit and destination countries towards Europe. As countries tighten their borders, children are forced to find other, often more dangerous routes towards Europe, increasing the risk of exploitation from smugglers and traffickers.