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Komnas Anak slams UNHCR for refugees' child prostitution

Source
Tempo - August 21, 2019

Muh Halwi, Jakarta – The National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas Anak) suspects there is a syndicate facilitating and commercially abusing underaged refugees who are currently accommodated at a former military command headquarter (Kodim) in Kalideres, West Jakarta.

"There must be someone facilitating this, it's impossible for children here to leave the facility without someone using them," said the commission's leader Arist Merdeka Sirait at the West Jakarta refugee camp on Tuesday, August 20.

Arist calls for the UNHCR to take full-responsibility for the child prostitution that happened at the camp, fearing that the children will continue to become victims of the alleged criminal organization and that the victims might turn into future perpetrators.

"This must be anticipated because the victims, if not monitored closely, might one day turn into the perpetrators," he said.

Arist says that the UNHCR has failed to provide the children of asylum seekers with sufficient protection and presses that it is the sole responsibility of the global organization.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1238692/komnas-anak-slams-unhcr-for-refugees-child-prostitution

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