325 asylum seeker children from Morocco went missing in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, more than 16,000 asylum seeker children disappeared in the last five years, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) revealed based on data compiled by the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) and Nidos, a body that regulates guardianship for asylum seekers under 18.

According to the two organizations, quoted by Dutch newspaper NL Times, some of the missing children left asylum centers in the Netherlands to join their families or friends in Germany, Belgium or France. But there are signs that many of these missing asylum seekers are «exploited by criminal networks».

Moroccans represent the largest group of the missing asylum seeker children. 325 of them went missing, followed by Algeria (190), Afghanistan (167), Syria and Eritrea (114 each). The first two countries are considered «safe», which means that asylum seekers are unlikely to be granted refugee status in the Netherlands. However, asylum seekers from Syria and Eritrea are almost always granted a residence permit.

Nidos workers told NRC that they met Moroccan children with a list of products of all kinds (perfumes, clothes) they were ordered to steal, says Dutch News.