24 million for stranded migrant children

brussels - For the 1,200 children who have been stranded in Greece without family or other adult assistance from outside the EU, the European Commission will make 24.1 million euros available. The money is intended for 'child-friendly' accommodation and for teaching unaccompanied minor migrants and refugees.

The amount goes to the UN organization for migration IOM. It must ensure that children, mostly boys between the ages of fourteen and seventeen, are received in a safe environment, receive medical and psychological support and that interpreters are available to them. Transport and school materials are also arranged.

According to children's rights organization Unicef, a 'staggeringly large number of children' is only on the run worldwide. Earlier this year, UNICEF stated that the facilities for children in countries at the European external borders often fall short. On the Greek islands, social workers see degrading conditions. In the absence of adequate childcare, underage asylum seekers are sometimes locked up and may experience violence and exploitation.