Mapping the situation of unaccompanied and separated children in Greece: A scoping review

• Little has been published on what is happening to minors who go missing in Greece. • Irregular onward movement and invisible immobility likely account for disappearances. • Pragmatic solutions are needed to address the systemic difficulties facing Greece. • More must be done to maintain minors’ safety and account for abscondences. • Referral actors require improved compliance with their mandatory reporting duties. Greece has long been one of the main European entry points for asylum seekers. Escalating global conflicts in 2014 and 2015 precipitated the displacement of millions of people, including many unaccompanied and separated children (UASC). Early reports from groups operating locally indicated that many UASC were disappearing after entering Greece, yet little is known about what then happens to these children. This scoping review aimed to identify any evidence to answer the question of what happens to UASC who ‘go missing’ while travelling through the migrant streams in Greece. A systematic search of eight electronic databases, supplemented by extensive hand searching of grey literature, yielded 33 documents meeting the inclusion criteria. Of these, only eleven were peer-reviewed primary studies, with the majority of includable evidence coming from organisation reports or news articles. Following content analysis, our findings suggest that irregular onward movement and unofficial continued stay in Greece likely account for the majority of UASC disappearances, though these conclusions are drawn from anecdotal evidence. This review uncovers a significant evidence gap in an area requiring urgent international attention and action. Recommendations are made for researchers and policymakers whose influence can serve to improve the treatment and protection of UASC in Greece.