“I Haven’t Seen My Family for a Long Time Now”: A History of Unaccompanied Child Refugees

written by Eleonore Bendahan

“The Kindertransport saved my life.” Ellen Davies’ story reflects those of the 10,000 Jewish children who were sent off to live in Britain after the ostracisation faced in Nazi-occupied zones. In 1938, after Nazi authorities staged a violent pogrom, the British government decided to take on Jewish children refugees. The system that allowed thousands of young Czech, German, Dutch and Austrian Jews to reach safety in Britain is known as the Kindertransport, and its legacy lives on. "Kindertransport was one of Great Britain's kindest and most wonderful things," Mrs Davies recounts.

Yet, Europe’s refugee crisis has brought on unprecedented struggles for children fleeing violence and persecution in war-torn countries. Of the 368,000 children crossing borders into Europe in 2016, a quarter were traveling alone. The vast majority of these children came from conflict-ridden countries, like Afghanistan and Syria. Many statistics remain unrecorded, meaning that unaccompanied refugee children going ‘under the radar’ could be further exposed to exploitation or trafficking.

Bayan, an eleven-year old Syrian girl who now lives in Greece, speaks of her harrowing experience crossing borders without her parents. “In order to leave the country, we had to give up all our money,” she recalls, “My parents are in Germany and I haven’t seen them for more than a year.” Although Bayan has escaped perilous bombings in her home country, a wider challenge stands before her: reuniting safely with her parents.

Ahmed, who is 15 years old and now lives in Serbia, further recounts tales of horror as he crosses the border alone. “When we try to cross borders we get beaten by the police, badly,” he recalls, “I haven’t seen my family for a long time now.”

In 2021, more than 28,300 migrants crossed the Channel between France and Britain, a 20,000 increase since the year prior. Kent, the British county that stands at the foot of the Channel, has reported its services for unaccompanied child migrants are at breaking point. The authorities have suggested that they may not be able to take in such migrants any longer, with social networking for unaccompanied child migrants at double its capacity. Although the Home Office recommends for “more areas to do their part” in hosting these unaccompanied children, the evidence proves that the sheer volume of children migrating alone is rapidly increasing, and that social networking should improve to ensure each child’s safety.

Ellen Davies, who escaped Nazi persecution without her parents at the age of ten, is vocal about the importance of the Kindertransport. “This history is the most important thing in the world”, she adds, “If you don’t learn anything from the past you make the same mistakes in the future.”

Her message resonates: with the mistreatment of unaccompanied child refugees becoming a pressing matter, it is time to integrate policy to protect minors from dangers and aggressions at the borders.