MEPs discuss what the EU can do to protect children fleeing war in Ukraine, in particular from trafficking and exploitation, following the activation on 3 March of the temporary protection status for refugees from Ukraine, which gives them temporary residence rights and access to education and the labour market. Opening statements by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography. This transcript is a resul of an authomatic process. Please check against delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

rights of the child (T)

ŠUICA, Dubravka (EPP, HR, EC)

JOHANSSON, Ylva (SE, EC)

solidarity with Ukraine (T)

EU Protection of children and young people fleeing the war against Ukraine: opening statements by Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs and by Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka &Scaron;UICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography, All of us Know, children's rights are human rights, and this is something we have to keep in mind. Every child has the right to grow up in a secure environment to play, to learn and to have prospects for a peaceful future. Today, we see children under attack in Ukraine on our European soil. We see their most basic rights, including the very right to life, brutally denied. Children are trapped in the bomb shelters, caught in the crossfire and are braving harsh conditions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography, Look at Russia. These harrowing images cannot and will not be left unanswered. The perpetrators of these crimes must not go unpunished, and a global response is necessary, dear members. Two and a half million children were forced from their homes. Some two million children have crossed the border into the European Union. Many arrived without their parents. I think about 100.000 children in Ukrainian institutions, more than half of them with disabilities. It is a top priority for all of us to urgently respond to their needs.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography, On 23 of March, the Commission adopted this communication on welcoming those fleeing war in Ukraine readying Europe to meet the needs. We outlined concrete measures that equip the European Union and member states to offer these children protection and give them swift access to their rights and services without any discrimination. We are making European Union funding available to support inclusion, foster care, psycho-social support and counselling.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography, Unaccompanied minors separated and orphaned children are at high risk of abuse and exploitation. We are working to obtain sufficient data so that all children are properly registered. My colleague Ylva Johansson will speak in more detail about this later. Legal guardians must be assigned as quickly as possible. Potential foster families should be vetted so that the children do not end up in abusive households. Our member states' national offices for children, Child Protection Services and Ombudsman are mobilised.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography, I can confirm that national coordinators of the European Child Guarantee are now operational. They will play an important role in providing access key services. We have established the solidarity platform for Member States. This will help ensure effective coordination and cooperation. We recently launched the European Union Network for Children's Rights, which will strengthen the coordination amongst child rights actors and help us identify further needs.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography, And dear colleagues, education is a key. We support our member states to help children return to school to regain a sense of normality. Integration, international childcare and school systems will be accompanied by psycho-social support, culture and sport activities to help overcome trauma, language and cultural barriers. The Commission School Education Gateway will serve as one stop shop to link educational material from Ukraine to member states material in the Ukrainian language. We will also draw on the capacities of Ukrainian teachers amongst the new arrivals in the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography, Upon arrival, health care is crucial. Children will need psycho-social care. Many will have missed out on proper nutrition, standard paediatric vaccinations will be prioritised, and the Commission is supporting the supply of vaccines through HERA. Inside Ukraine genuine humanitarian corridors must be established to to evacuate the most vulnerable. We are providing substantial humanitarian aid work with our international partners and in coordination with Ukrainian authorities to ensure humanity aid reaches its destination and the children can receive protection.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Democracy and Demography, This war will mark the children of Ukraine for life. We will not leave a stone unturned to ensure that they will be well cared for, that they can recover and be a child again. This is not only a job, it is our collective responsibility and the human imperative. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Putin's army has so far killed a reported 158 children in Ukraine and wounded many more. Last month, Russian soldiers shot Matvey, eight year old, and his little brother, four year old Klim, and their mother, Margarita, as they tried to escape the hell of Bucha. These war crimes must not go unpunished. Eurojust and Europol will have a key role to play here.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, About two million children escaped Ukraine with their lives. Many children now face a new danger, a danger I warned of here in Plenary last time we met here, in Strasbourg, nearly one month ago. The danger of trafficking. Your resolution shows that you share my concerns. Lithuanian authorities are investigating possible trafficking of 43 children for adoption. There are no confirmed cases yet. But we know from bitter experience that the danger is real.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Children are at the top of our agenda. Key amongst the ten priorities I presented at the extraordinary Council last week, priorities for welcoming people fleeing the war. Our aim: to protect children from war zone to safe home.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Last month, Member States pledged to welcome more than 15,500 Ukrainian refugees from Moldova. 512 have now arrived in the EU, many of them children. My services are working on standard operating procedures for transferring unaccompanied minors between member states, making clear when registering, relocating, referring children. We must never forget they are children and keep their best interest in mind.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, The EU Agency for Asylum will play a central role. We are working with the Agency on common guidance and standards and I cannot praise UNICEF enough for their great job they are doing protecting children in the EU and in Ukraine. And since day one, I have been working to prevent trafficking. Starting at the EU border where 282 Frontex staff are helping to identify people at risk or from trafficking.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Europol is gathering intelligence, coordinating police cooperation, monitoring online activities by potential traffickers and by people trying to exploit the services of victims. Europol has set up a specific task force against trafficking in human beings to work with law enforcement in Ukraine and in EU countries along the border. Many member states are warning against the dangers of trafficking, with websites and hotlines, handing out leaflets at train stations, increasing police presence.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Our Agency for Law Enforcement Training, CEPOL, is teaching border guards, police and others to identify potential victims and traffickers. We issued calls to use our EU funds to prevent and fight trafficking and support victims. Last July, I appointed Diane Schmitt as EU anti trafficking coordinator. Right away, in the first week of war, she activated a network of national rapporteurs against trafficking of human beings, and they have already met twice. She visited Romania, Poland, together with your Intergroup on Children's Rights, and she's doing a very important job in these days.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Our priority now is registration, registration, registration. We need to know where these children are. All 2 million. Not one child can go missing. The member states need to step up on registration. EU-Lisa is starting technical work to put in place a platform so the member states can exchange information, a platform for registration. We also need to register providers of housing and transport so refugees know who is safe, who they can trust.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, As my colleague Dubravka, Vice-President Suica, has just said, we have set up the Solidarity Platform to coordinate efforts. It has met twice a week since the war started. Soon, the Solidarity Platform will meet in a session dedicated to protecting children to discuss issues member states can only address together how to trace children boosting registration in member states of arrival and destination reception capacities for children, also children with disabilities, cooperation with Ukrainian authorities and to endorse an action plan against trafficking of human beings. We must also work on family reunification.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Honourable Members, our great challenge still lies ahead of us. The longer this war goes on, the greater the risk to children. And just imagine that you are a Ukrainian mother or father, looking at your three children, having to take a very, very difficult decision: should we keep the children here, where we know they are in danger, or should we send them with our friends? Our friend and her two children who will leave soon on a potential also dangerous journey to the European Union and knowing the risk that this might be the last time we see our children?

SOUNDBITE (English), Ylva JOHANSSON, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, So many Ukrainian parents have been forced to take this very, very difficult decision. These Ukrainian parents wants us to keep their children safe. They count on us. So let's show them that they can count on us. Thank you.