Better alert mechanisms to aid missing children!

According to data provided by AMBER Alert Europe, the European Child Rescue Alert and Police Network on Missing Children, 250,000 cases of missing children are reported annually in the European Union. In 76 percent of the cases, the children’s life faces the greatest danger in the first three hours of the abduction. “Investigation usually stops at the national borders. However, quick international reaction, especially in the area of national borders is essential, because effective cooperation and joint action among border protection, investigating and local authorities makes it possible to find the kidnapped children and to save the children’s lives. For this, the quickest possible realization of the recommendations is a must,” Kinga Gál emphasized.

Almost 500 MEPs signed the written declaration on improving emergency cooperation in finding and recovering endangered missing children and improving the child abduction alert mechanisms on an international level. Since the declaration was supported by more than half of the MEPs, it has become part of the officially adopted texts of the European Parliament. Vice President of the EPP Kinga Gál emphasized that “this declaration helps use the opportunities that the EU offers regarding international protection of minors, to find lost or kidnapped children, and thus, save lives. These are exactly the types of actions with which we can bring the EU closer to the citizens because they can see and experience the benefits of European cooperation in their everyday lives.”