Government data show only 58 unaccompanied minors were officially recorded at the eastern border in 2024, yet NGOs say the true number is far higher: 24 children requested humanitarian aid in May alone.
Many come from Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan and Iran and arrive after “physical and psychological violence” during their journey, the charity said.
“These children meet suspicion, pushbacks and a total absence of procedures,” country director Celina Kretkowska-Adamowicz told reporters. “There is no institution that looks after them from start to finish.”
Age tests reject 83%
Border officials often eyeball age on the spot, then send cases for wrist-X-ray tests—an imprecise method, the report said.
In 2024, 275 youngsters were examined without a court-appointed guardian present and 83% were judged to be adults, instantly losing access to care, schooling and protection.
“Whether a child receives support depends on the whim of an individual officer and the luck of finding an empty bed,” migration expert Karolina Czerwińska said.
Vanishing from shelters
Poland’s foster-care network is ill-equipped for foreign children, lacking translators and legal aid. Most disappear from shelters, a red flag for trafficking and other abuse, the study warned.
Nationwide, 1,370 children—Polish and foreign—had no foster placement last year; undocumented minors face even steeper odds.
Save the Children urged Warsaw to create an independent monitoring mechanism, end illegal pushbacks and drop a “suspension law” that limits asylum access.
“The best interests of the child, under the UN convention, must guide every decision,” the group said.
The full report in English is available here.
(jh)
Source: Save The Children Polska, PAP Mediaroom