Thousands of African child migrants feared in thrall to Italian traffickers

EurActiv reported that thousands of migrant children were disappearing after arriving in mainland Europe from North Africa, triggering concerns that they were falling prey to a new and thriving market for child trafficking and forced labour.

The article states that one third of some 12,164 unaccompanied minors who arrived in Italy in 2014 had vanished from foster homes and government shelters.

On 3 December 2014, the Italian police uncovered a mafia network in Rome said to have extorted millions of euros from programmes designed to help the city’s most vulnerable.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Taking action to better manage migratory flows, October 2014 http://www.europeansources.info/record/taking-action-to-better-manage-migratory-flows-october-2014/

EUObserver, 04.12.14: Immigration centres are new cash cow for Italian mafia http://euobserver.com/justice/126787

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