10,000 Refugee Children Missing in Europe – Minus One

Ion, age 17 lived in a small town close to Donetsk, Ukraine. One day he began to walk. And didn’t stop.

Ion had lost everything. He was forced into hiding after a group of separatists killed his mother. He kept to the shadows, aided solely by a stranger who secretly brought him food from time to time. After a few months, Ion decided to make a run for it.

Ion walked at night and slept through the day. After three months, he crossed both Ukraine and Moldova, finally reaching Romania where he was discovered by the Romanian Border Police.

Fortunately the police brought Ion to an asylum refugee center, and from there he was transferred to the Not For Sale team who operate safe houses in Timisoara, Romania. A little over 7 months ago, a family took him in, supporting his dream of becoming an electrical engineer.

Ion’s story is not unique, and sadly few of them end so well. Due to the rising tension in the Slavic regions, it feels as if WWIII will break out at any moment. And traffickers love the chaos.

The original story is from Not for Sale, for other stories like it visit Not for Sale.


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