SafeBorders

FAQs

Call the hotline if you are a:

child who is missing from home / care or a child who is thinking of leaving home / care
parent or carer of a missing child
child, young person, or adult who has information about a missing child

Make a report to the police if you know of a child who has gone missing. This can be done by anybody, not just the parents or carers. You may also call the 116 000 hotline for support, advice, and to share valuable information about a missing child.

Who answers the calls?

Professionally trained Hotline Operators.

The 116 000 hotline is not available in my country, who can I contact instead?

Always contact your national police to report a missing child or to share information relating to a missing child.

Other national hotlines or children’s organisations are available in your country, you can find this online.

Who can call the 116 000 hotline?

Everyone. Children, young people, parents or carers, families, and third party adults.

If you know about a missing child or if you know of a child at risk of going missing, the 116 000 hotline will be able to support you.

What information am I required to give when I call the 116 000 hotline?

You will be asked for details related to the missing child and their circumstances.

The more information provided the more help this will be for the protection of the child.

SafeBorders is an EU funded project dedicated to combating child trafficking by strengthening the capacities of judicial authorities and frontline workers through strong cross-border cooperation in Greece, Italy, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Portugal, Belgium, Finland and the Western Balkans. The project focuses on prevention, protection, and prosecution to address the complex nature of child trafficking and safeguard vulnerable children from exploitation.

Duration: 24 months – (January 2025 – December 2026)

Activities of the project:

The project strengthens child protection systems through training, technology, and transnational cooperation, ensuring vulnerable children are safeguarded from exploitation and abuse.

Research and evidence-based guidelines:

Conduct context analysis and gather inputs from judicial, law enforcement, civil society, and government stakeholders through focus groups and interviews to identify challenges, policy gaps, and opportunities for improved interventions.

Develop evidence-based guidelines on cross-border cooperation to combat child trafficking, prioritising victim protection and support to counter child trafficking by organised crime networks.

Training and capacity building:

Training sessions for 45 prosecutors, 180 judges and 270 frontline professionals in project countries

A one-day workshop for prosecutors to develop strategies, share best practices, and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise commitments

An AI platform to fight child trafficking:

Develop an AI-powered platform to analyse trafficking patterns and assist authorities in identifying networks

Create a Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) to ensure GDPR-compliant data sharing

Awareness raising:

Reach 100,000+ people through an EU-wide awareness campaign
Lead two community workshops in each project country with the aim to dispel trafficking myths, offer safeguarding tips, and provide resources on recognizing signs of trafficking and accessing support.

Promotional video

Contact person

Alyona Samar

Senior Programmes Officer and Focal Point on Migration

Partners

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.