Niamh Harris – Ten British pedophiles were deported from Poland after travelling to the country under the pretence of helping refugees, including thousands of unaccompanied children, fleeing Ukraine.
As many as 5,000 unaccompanied children were reportedly displaced in first weeks of the conflict.
The known child sex offenders were tracked going to Poland under the guise of ‘volunteers’ in the early weeks of war, seemingly to take advantage of the chaos unfolding on the border with Ukraine according to the National Crime Agency (NCA).
The Independent reports: All 10 men were asked to leave Poland following an interview with immigration officers and law enforcement, and British authorities are working to deter others from travelling.
“For us, it’s about making partners aware that these convicted child sex offenders are on their turf, for obvious reasons,” an NCA spokesperson said.
“There are at least 5,000 unaccompanied children who have been displaced from Ukraine. Making sure they’re safe is absolutely paramount.”
Officials said convicted pedophiles are meant to declare their criminal record to countries they are visiting but “we find inevitably they haven’t”.
Efforts are currently centered around preventing sex offenders from traveling to Poland or other countries if not “for the right reasons”, and getting them out if they have not followed the rules.
The issue is among a “whole range of threats that have sprung up or been enhanced by this conflict” Ukrainian war, the NCA said.
They include modern slavery, human trafficking and organized immigration crime affecting refugees.
SF Source News Punch Jul 2022