World community urged to take swift action on immigrants
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UNITED NATIONS: The international community needs to commit to “swift, collective and courageous action” and address the surge in illegal migration across the Mediterranean Sea which has resulted in the loss of hundreds of live, the UN children fund said on Tuesday.
Unicef warned in a statement that reports of tragedies on the Mediterranean were becoming “all too frequent and the human cost all too high”, and said that children often shouldered the greater burden of illegal migration and its repercussions.
“Children who find themselves on these journeys are exposed to abuse, exploitation and possibly death and, if they survive, are often placed in unsafe and unsuitable conditions and / or criminalised,” the statement declared.
“We ask that all actions are guided by the best interests of every one of these children, every step of the way,” it said.
“No matter their refugee or migrant status, children are to be cared for in a safe place – and not in a detention facility – with access to education, health, social and legal services with full implementation of existing safeguards especially for the most vulnerable.”
Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2015
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