More Unaccompanied Children Are Taking Dangerous Crossings to Europe, UN Says - BusinessWorld Online
UN agencies said unaccompanied children made up 67% of arrivals, as reported child resettlement fell to 3,400 and violence remained widespread.
- On Wednesday, a report by the International Organization for Migration, UNHCR, and UNICEF revealed 67% of migrant children reaching Europe via Mediterranean and Balkan routes were unaccompanied, up from 51% in 2024.
- Shrinking safe migration pathways are forcing more children into the hands of smugglers, as poverty, conflict, and environmental hazards drive perilous sea crossings and leave families with limited legal options.
- Interviews with more than 4,600 young people aged 15 to 24 found nearly half experienced physical violence including torture and kidnapping in transit; Libya was identified most frequently as where abuses occurred.
- Relocation efforts under the Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism collapsed to only 199 children in 2025, down 67%, while Italy experienced a 12% surge in arrivals from Egypt, Eritrea, Bangladesh, and Somalia.
- IOM Director General Amy Pope urged closer cooperation between European states and transit countries to counter smuggling networks, warning that limited safe pathways leave children exposed to "violence and exploitation.
12 Articles
12 Articles
A joint report by United Nations agencies (UNHCR, UNICEF and IOM) for 2025 has been published, which captures the situation of minor refugees and migrants entering Europe.
More than two-thirds of refugee and migrant children who reached Europe via the Mediterranean and Balkan routes in 2025 were travelling without a parent or guardian, with many exposed to violence and exploitation, according to a new report by UN agencies, quoted by Reuters, News.bg reports. While the total number of children arriving in Europe by land and sea last year fell by 25% compared to 2024, the proportion of unaccompanied children has i…
A UN report shows that two-thirds of migrant children arrived in Europe unaccompanied in 2025, an increase of 1.5 million. Many have experienced violence and exploitation due to a lack of safe migration routes.
News quickly and reliably.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
