1. Underaged victims of THB

2. Reception centers Migrant child = migrant or child?
Federal reception centers for asylum seekers:
2640 places for UAM
Large scale, basic assistance
French and Flemish Community => Youth Care
Children/youngsters/families in worrying situations
Also: vulnerable migrant groups:
young UAM, victims THB
In Belgium Youth care and reception centers for (minor-) asylumseekers

3. Reception centers THB Esperanto Mena (French Community) 15 pl
Only for (presumed) victims of THB
Safety = central issue
Secret address, No access to cell-phone/internet/social media
School/medical aid/… inside
Monitoring of first days
Gradually opening to world outside
Crisis help / immediate reception

4. Reception centers THB Minor-Ndako (Flemish Community)
Youth care center
120 staff members, > 200 children, families
25% local / 75% UAM
Units for little children 0-12/7-13/12-16/16-18/17-25
Priority to most vulnerable UAM but not only THB
New initiative: Flemish community wants to start up assistance program including reception facilities for victims of loverboys

5. Reception centers THB
Flemish Community => developing program for victims of Lover boys, including reception facilities.
Other profile
‘local’ girls, age 13 – 18, social vulnerability, migrant origin but settled
Similar safety needs

6. Approach MN Prevention of disappearance Always Risk assessment
Communication of profile/safety provisions
Identification form
Copy (identity) documents
Risk assessment
Elements of THB, ..;
(p) victim did not agree with reception

7. Approach
Prevention
Communicate (explain who you are, what you do, position toward youngster/police etc/ what you can(not) do for her/him; … show concern!
Listen to fears, concerns, questions
Offer activities: rest, meal, shower, clothes washing, doctor, meeting with guard, with other people
Monitoring in first hours/days (never a dull moment)
No promises you can’t keep

8. Approach Living unit adapted to age Similar public => comforting
Integrated approach
Individual follow up
Action plan for longer term …

9. Approach Multi agency Police/justice Specialized center
School, other …
Guardian/lawyer
Minor-Ndako

10. (presumed) victims 2013 First contact Age Origin Claim Airport police12
Syria
Trafficking
Fedasil
Afghanistan 13 9
Angola
YT Antwerp
Macedonia
Child marriage
Brussels Police 16
Romania
Ec. Exploitation
PPO Brussels 11
Serbia
Thefts 2
Suspicion child trafficking
10, 14, 17
Captivity, domestic expl
YT Brussels 17
Morocco
Exploitation of criminality
12 presumed victims

11. (presumed) victims 2014 First contact Age Origin Claim Gent Police 13
Romania
Kidnapping
PPO Brussel 15
Ec.. Exploitation + rape
Railroad police 16
Kidnapping for exploitation
Airport police 5
Cameroon
Trafficking 6
Congo-Brazzaville 9 8
YT Brussels
Theft 8

12. (presumed) victims 2015 First contact Age Origin Claim YT Antwerp 14
Irak
Child Marriage
Fed police 15
Albania
Trafficking
Local police
Romania
Thefts 12 16
Serbia
Airport police 2
Congo Brazzaville
Nigeria
Sex exploitation
Ivory Coast 5
Haiti 99

13. (presumed) victims 2015 => refugee crisis 2016 17 UAM <12 y/o
4 Trafficking cases (airport & <12 y/o)
6 ec./sex. exploitation (Nigeria, Guinee, Vietnam, Serbia) (1 in procedure)
10 UAM <12 y/o

14. (presumed) victims 16 long term guidances (12 > year) Outcomes
Disappearances: 12
Vol. return home country 3
Reunif. with family 3d country 12
Integration 12
Verdwijning: Marokkaanse jongen 2013, Roma in

15. Policy issues MN: Presumed victims 39 - in procedure THB 3
National level: underaged victims in proc THB
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016 20 19 4 5 14 7

16. Policy issues Readiness to witness Identification? Where do we start?
Trafficking as necessary evil
Involvement of family
Organized crime?
Identification?
Where do we start?
Two worlds, LAT
Involvement of family
Direct: exploitation by family members
Indirect: family gives child to smuggler
loyalty: father told me …
=> protection: if I tell something, family is in trouble
Smuggling via airport : often becaus family reunification procedures are very expensive, take a lot of tim, … (often Belgium => France)
Child = criminal or victim?
Child of 11 yo steals from a house => Who comes around to pick up the child?
Hearing in Parliament: In een Afghaans dossier waren er dan weer duidelijke indicaties van seksueel misbruik van jonge kinderen. Er werden onderweg naar België meisjes en jongetjes verkracht.