The situation of children in Dutch asylum seeker centres contravenes the International Treaty on Children’s Rights, says Unicef in a recent report.

The UN children’s organization says one of the most important causes is the long duration of the asylum procedure. On average, the children that were interviewed live in refugee centres for almost five years. The Dutch centres are not equipped for such long stays.

The report also criticises the lack of social life for the children. They are deprived from information about schools and sports clubs preventing them from making friends and performing well at school. Unicef presented the report on Friday to Dutch Deputy Justice Minister Nebahat Albayrak.