The numbers will become clear after a certain time delay, once people start feeling safe and begin to trust their surroundings, explains Katjuša Popović. She says that is when the stories come to the surface. "The work of government and non-governmental organizations is also focused in that direction. That means we talk with people in order for them to later confide to us the things that haunt them the most," says Popović.

Officials at the Asylum Home in Vič, Ljubljana, have established a special group which always convenes when there is a risk that someone might be a victim of human trafficking. "I have to say that the responsiveness of the group is very good, both with government and non-governmental parties," is pleased Popović.

The timing when someone decides to speak out about his/her problems is different with every individual. Some decide to never speak out at all. With refugees it is even more complicated, as they first have to process the reasons why they fled their homes in the first place, and then also process their entire horrible journey. In the first month when they arrive they don’t talk at all, explains Popović. It is only when they realize that no one wants to hurt them that they start opening up. Even more traumatic are the experiences of children, especially if they have been sold to human traffickers by their own parents. Katjuša Popović stresses that it is extremely difficult to gain their trust.

The Slovene Philanthropy also warns of problems unaccompanied child refugees face. Media reports from this year state that thousands of children have disappeared upon their arrival to Europe. According to the opendemocracy.org media platform, around 270.000 children arrived on the shores of Greece and Italy in 2015. In Sweden, alone, more than 23.000 unaccompanied children have filed for asylum requests.

Andrej Čebokli; translated by K. J.