KIDS RISK DEATH FLEEING TALIBAN
CHILD refugees fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan risk sex attacks, kidnap and death.
A graphic documentary will show the battles faced by some of the 100,000 youngsters who have travelled across Europe unaccompanied over the past two years in search of a new life.
One in 10 of those who set out for Europe goes missing.
The film, War Child, shows the ordeal of 11-year-old Emran, whose parents insisted he should flee.
He said: “I leave my parents. I remember that day. I am so sad. I so much miss my parents. Leaving is hard and scary.
“That day was a bad day for me. My mother was crying and my dad say, ‘Don’t think you’re alone, don’t think that ever’.
“The Taliban have started killing children as they walk to school so my father had to send me to Europe. Afghanistan is a dangerous place.”
The number of child refugees has doubled in the last decade with Syria alone having three million under the age of five.
Kids travelling alone face a journey littered with dangers. Criminal gangs regularly kidnap migrants and target minors for sex abuse and slavery.
Speaking at a refugee camp in Greece, Emran said: “I have walked hundreds of miles. I almost drowned but was saved by a fisherman.
“There are thousands of kids like me ED GLEAVE here alone, without parents. They say the way will not be easy for us, but our journey is far from over.” After four months away from his family, Emran’s only support is his pal Hussein who he met on a boat from Turkey to Greece. Hussein, inset, also Afghan, is an orphan. He tells the camera crew: “The police shoot and my mother is gone. She was a nice person. “All night she’d be reading me stories and all days she’d bring me notebooks and she’d say ‘Study, study’. My father is a good man. He is dead.” During his journey Hussein had a gun held to his head by a smuggler. But Emran said: “We have to use smugglers if we want to keep going.” The brave lad is left in tears when a riot breaks out at the camp. He said: “People are angry here. Fear is all around. Most stay with people from their own country and keep away from trouble. No one wants to be here like this. It’s grim and scary.” War Child also shows the ordeal of a Syrian family of seven held hostage and robbed by smugglers. Even after escaping they are forced to turn to other smugglers. Daughter Rawan, 12, said: “We have to go with the smugglers. We have no other choice.” War Child is tonight at 10.30pm on Channel 4.