As a member of the umbrella European organization for missing children, ASTRA took part in the international conference “Missing Children in Europe – Challenges, Prevention, and Systemic Solutions in the Context of Parental Abductions and Teen Runaways”, held in Warsaw from June 11 to 12, 2025, as part of the annual general assembly and Board of Directors meeting of the European organization for missing children.
The conference was organized by the Polish MCE member NGO ITAKA, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior of Poland. It gathered 120 participants from institutions, NGOs, the diplomatic corps, and international organizations.
“In Poland, there is a functioning Child Alert system, and the police are able to effectively support the search process. One of the things we do is cooperate with NGOs, and we also provide financial support for the 116000 helpline and other services related to missing children. Each year, we receive around 200 reports of missing children under the age of 18. We have clear procedures. It is important that we know how searches work in other countries. When a child goes missing, the media play an important and active role, and families need support from all stakeholders,” said Czesław Mroczek, State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior of Poland.
Tomasz Mihalka, Senior Inspector and Deputy Commander of the Polish Police, stated that running away from home is a symptom that should be taken seriously.
“International cooperation is crucial for us, because a missing child from Warsaw can quickly end up in another part of Europe. Countries have different procedures, which is why it’s important to understand them and work together swiftly. Our police maintain general statistics on missing persons, and in 2024 we had 200 such cases. Runaways from institutions and foster families are very common,” said Tomasz Mihalka.
AAgje Ieven, President of MCE, stated that MCE member organizations had 200 cases of parental abduction in 2024. A particularly difficult issue, she noted, is that a child may forget the language of one parent.
“This makes reconnecting more difficult upon return. There are also challenges in the mediation process. Over the past two years, the SIS system has been introduced in some countries to be activated in cases of parental abductions, but it is still underutilized,” said AAgje Ieven.
A particularly impactful part of the event was the address by Mina Kokai, who was a victim of parental abduction from Finland. She spoke about her feelings and needs during the experience she went through as a nine-year-old child.