10,000 Refugee Children Missing in Europe

© 2016 The Wired Word

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The migrant crisis in Europe has produced a number of troubling stories, perhaps none more heartbreaking than the disappearance of some 10,000 unaccompanied child refugees. The European Union's law enforcement agency, Europol, reports that these children have disappeared after arriving in Europe, and many are thought to have fallen into the hands of trafficking syndicates. Organized crime might be targeting these young people for sex work and slavery.

According to The Guardian, thousands of minors have vanished after registering with authorities. Europol's chief of staff, Brian Donald, reported that 5,000 children have disappeared in Italy and another 1,000 in Sweden. "It's not unreasonable to say that we're looking at 10,000-plus children," he said. "Not all of them will be criminally exploited; some might have been passed on to family members. We just don't know where they are, what they're doing or whom they are with."

One of the most urgent issues in the migrant crisis is the fate of unaccompanied child refugees. According to Save the Children, a staggering 26,000 unaccompanied children entered Europe last year. Europol believes that more than one-fourth of the million refugees in Europe last year were minors -- a total of 270,000 children. "Not all of those are unaccompanied, but we also have evidence that a large proportion might be,” said Donald.

A criminal infrastructure has grown up over the past 18 months, focused on exploiting migrants. Mariyana Berket of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe says that "unaccompanied minors from regions of conflict are by far the most vulnerable population; those without parental care that have either been sent by their families to get into Europe first and then get the family over, or have fled with other family members."

Europol has evidence that some unaccompanied child refugees in Europe have been sexually exploited. The agency has also discovered a link between gangs helping to smuggle refugees and gangs exploiting those same refugees for sex work and slavery. "The ones who have been active in human smuggling are now appearing in our files in relation to migrant smuggling," said Europol's Donald. He asked the public to be vigilant, since most missing child refugees are probably still in the community. "If they're being abused it's in the community," he explained. "As a population we need to be alert to this."

Closer to home, the Super Bowl will be taking place today in the San Francisco Bay Area, bringing together an event and a region that are well-known for human trafficking. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the Bay Area has three international airports and a major shipping port, enabling victims of trafficking to be moved through quickly.

The Super Bowl draws a large number of wealthy men who are looking to indulge themselves in a variety of ways. Says Michele Ernst of the FBI, "High-profile special events which draw large crowds become lucrative opportunities for sex trafficking and criminal activity. It's market and demand." The FBI opened a Human Trafficking Operation Center at the start of Super Bowl Week. A trial run for the program resulted in six children being rescued in the Bay Area, with the youngest victim just 12 years old.

And this past week in Blacksburg, Virginia, two Virginia Tech students were arrested in connection with the murder of a 13-year-old girl. According to USA Today, the body of Nicole Madison Lovell was found along a highway in North Carolina, about 90 miles south of Virginia Tech's campus. David Eisenhauer, a freshman engineering student and member of the cross-country team, was charged with first-degree murder. Natalie Keepers, a sophomore engineering student, was arrested for helping Eisenhauer to dispose of Nicole's body. The police statement said that Eisenhauer knew his victim before her disappearance and that he "used this relationship to his advantage to abduct the 13-year-old and then kill her."

Around the world, children are vulnerable to human trafficking, sex work, slavery and physical violence. Christians are challenged to be alert to this and take appropriate action, because -- in the words of Europol's Brian Donald -- if children are "being abused it's in the community."

More on this story can be found at these links:

10,000 Refugee Children Are Missing, Says Europol. The GuardianHuman Trafficking Concerns Are Super Bowl's Dark Underbelly. The San Francisco ChronicleSecond Virginia Tech Student Arrested in Teen's Death. USA Today

The Big Questions 

1. What stories have you heard about human trafficking in your community? How can you be vigilant? For what signs should you be watching? Or do you believe there is no sexual trafficking in your neighborhood? If so, what leads you to think your area is exempt?

2. Sex trafficking in the United States thrives on demand for sexual services. What can the church do to create a culture of healthy sexuality?

3. Where are children most vulnerable in our communities today? How can Christians create safe and healthy environments for them, at home and in church?

4. Online technology creates communication patterns that can lead to abuse. How can parents monitor the online activity of their children? What actions can be taken to reduce the danger of the internet?

5. How has your church been involved in refugee resettlement in the past? What could it do to alleviate the current migrant crisis? Why is the resettlement of children a particular concern to you?

Confronting the News With Scripture and HopeHere are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:

Genesis 21:17And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is." (For context, read 21:8-21.)

Unable to conceive a child with Sarah, Abraham has sexual relations with an Egyptian slave-girl named Hagar. The child born to them is named Ishmael. Later, when Sarah and Abraham have a son named Isaac, Sarah wants to eliminate any competition from Ishmael, so she says to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac" (v. 10). Abraham reluctantly sends Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness of Beersheba, where they almost die of thirst. But God intervenes to lead them to water, and the two survive their ordeal.

Questions: What does this story of Ishmael and his mother (note: She was herself a child -- a "slave-girl" when she was used by her owner for sex) teach you about the value of children to God, and God's concern for them? What can Christians do to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of children?

Proverbs 14:26In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and one's children will have a refuge. (No context needed.)

In this section containing the wise sayings of Solomon, a number of proverbs pertain to children: "A wise child loves discipline" (13:1) and "Those who spare the rod hate their children" (13:24). In this particular proverb, a connection is made between "the fear of the LORD" and a refuge for "one's children." The implication is that respect for God creates a safe and secure home for children.

Questions: How can a parent practice "the fear of the LORD" at home? What influence does this have on children? How does this respect and reverence for God help to build a more safe and secure home? 

Is a child's worth solely in the "social security" he or she can provide to aging parents? Where does a child's true value lie?

Isaiah 49:25But thus says the LORD: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued; for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children. (For context, read 49:8-26.)

God promises through the prophet Isaiah that the people of Israel will be brought home from exile in Babylon. God assures the people that they have not been forgotten, using a maternal image for the relationship between God and Israel: "Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb?" (v. 15). Clearly, God loves the people of Israel deeply and will do anything to overcome the threats they face, concluding with the assurance, "I will save your children."

Questions: When have you felt that God has acted in your life and/or the lives of your children? To the extent you feel safe, name situations in your life or the lives of others where God seems to have let children down. Where do you place blame in those situations? Where do you see signs that God is working to save children today? How can you participate in this divine work?

Matthew 19:13-15Then little children were being brought to [Jesus] in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs." And he laid his hands on them and went on his way. (No context needed.) 

A group of parents bring their children to Jesus so that he can lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples try to discourage them, believing that children are not worthy of their teacher's time and attention. But Jesus dismisses their concerns and welcomes the children, stating that they are worthy of the "kingdom of heaven." Children are not second-class citizens in the eyes of Jesus, but are first-class citizens in the kingdom of God.

Questions: How are children ignored and dismissed in our society today? In what ways do churches (including your own) act like the disciples and marginalize children? What happens when children are allowed to be invisible? In what ways can you honor children as Jesus did?

Mark 9:42[Jesus said,] "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea." (For context, read 9:33-37, 42-50.)

Jesus answers the disciples' question about who was the greatest among them by putting a little child in their midst. Then he warns the disciples of the fate of "any of you" who puts "a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me": he says that it would be better to have a millstone around your neck, one heavy enough to drown you in the sea. Jesus is passionately concerned about the welfare of children, and predicts harsh punishment for anyone who causes them to "stumble."

Questions: What qualities do children have that would cause Jesus to hold them in such high regard? Why does he judge people so harshly for causing trouble for children? Where do you see people creating "stumbling blocks" for children today, and what can be done to confront them?

Luke 9:48[Jesus] said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest." (For context, read 9:46-48.)

Once again, Jesus is confronted with the question of true greatness, and responds by using a little child as an illustration. He focuses here on how hospitality toward a child is really hospitality toward him, and how this chain of hospitality then extends through Jesus to God.

Questions: What are the challenges of welcoming children? How can the church do a better job of this? In what ways does hospitality toward children connect with hospitality toward Jesus and God? How do we suffer spiritually when we fail to welcome children?

For Further Discussion

1. How have you welcomed children in your own life, and what has been the result? Where have you faced challenges with children, emotionally and spiritually? If you had the chance, what would you do differently in this regard in the future?

2. Jesus says that "it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost" (Matthew 18:14). Where do you see children getting lost today in your community? What can you and your church do to lead them back to healthy relationships with family members, friends and the community of faith? Explore some or all of the following specific, but related, matters:

• Has your church -- staff, volunteers, others -- been involved in something like the "Safe Sanctuaries" training offered by the United Methodist Church to its congregations? If you have had such training, what signs would you look for that children may be in danger? How would you structure or restructure your building and programming to keep kids safe?
• Many teenagers use smartphones for "sexting" -- the sending and receiving of sexually explicit messages, including photographs. How should church youth workers address this? What can parents do to guide their teenageers into healthier -- and safer -- behavior?
• What can Christians do -- internationally, nationally and locally -- to prevent children from becoming victims of human trafficking?
• Often, church members express annoyance when children are disruptive in worship. What practical steps can churches take to create an environment of hospitality toward children? What long-term effect might this have on children's safety?

3. German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently said that most refugees from Syria and Iraq would have togo home once the conflicts in their homelands ended. What are the implications of this approach for families in Europe with missing children? How would you suggest that churches be involved in the work of family reunification?

Responding to the News

Invite a member of your local police department to visit your congregation and give a presentation on human trafficking. Become educated about the signs of trafficking, realizing that victims could be living very close to you. Work to make your congregation hospitable to children so they will benefit from the protection of a safe and secure community of faith.

Closing Prayer

Lord God, we thank you for the gift of children, who are first-class citizens in the kingdom of heaven. As disciples of Christ, may we welcome them and protect them from harm. In Jesus' name. Amen.