“These children have gone through tremendous horrible situation and trajectory to reach, Belgium…, and we can really help them by just being open and talk to them and engage with them. That will help to reestablish their trust in adults. And that’s where we have to start.”
Tijana Popovic
Description
In recent years, Europe has witnessed a surge in human mobility, which regrettably includes children. In 2022, the influx of migrant children into Europe rose by almost 50% compared to the previous year. Tragically, a significant portion of these children subsequently go missing. NGOs such as Child Focus and Missing Children Europe are dedicated to aiding in the search for these missing children.
According to Lost in Europe, a cross-border journalism project investigating the disappearance of child migrants in Europe more than 51,000 unaccompanied minors went missing in Europe between 2021-2023.
Guests
Since 2016, Tijana Popovic has been a dedicated member of Child Focus, the Belgium Centre for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children. Tijana began her career at Child Focus as a case manager, where she passionately worked on cases involving missing unaccompanied minors. Her relentless efforts to improve outcomes in these cases led her to develop various projects aimed at fostering new collaborations and continuously enhancing existing ones.
In 2021, Tijana transitioned to the role of policy advisor, focusing on unaccompanied children, among other important subjects. She firmly believes that unaccompanied minors are, first and foremost, children and should be treated no differently than any other child who goes missing. Tijana’s work is driven by her commitment to ensuring that every missing child receives the care and attention they deserve.
Aagje Ieven is Secretary General at Missing Children Europe, where she is responsible for the strategic development and day-to-day management of the organisation. She has a background in Health and Political Philosophy. She has close to twenty years of experience in research and policy analysis on human rights in Europe and has worked for a number of EU civil society organisations advocating for the rights and wellbeing of children and their families. She coordinated a campaign for the rights of children in vulnerable situations and managed a European membership network supporting families affected by mental health issues. At Missing Children Europe her focus is on research based advocacy, prevention and quality service delivery. She established a research and training programme on the drivers of running away, led the advocacy on the new EU Child Rights Strategy and, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, set up a helpdesk for hotlines in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries.