Geneva: The majority of migrant children who reached Europe last year were travelling alone, United Nations agencies said Wednesday, warning about the abuse and violence they face en route.
More than 20,000 of the 31,100 children who reached Europe along migration routes last year arrived without a parent or guardian, the agencies said in a statement.
“This report shows how exposed they are to violence and exploitation when safe pathways are limited, and they have to rely on smugglers,” said Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration. “No child should have to face these risks alone.”
While the number of children arriving by sea and land in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain fell by 25 percent compared with 2024, the proportion of unaccompanied children rose to 67 percent from 51 percent.
Of the children who arrived, 78 percent were boys and 22 percent were girls.
The IOM said that of 4,600 migrants aged 15 to 24 that it interviewed, nearly half reported physical violence along their passageways to Europe, with Libya being the most commonly cited place where abuse occurred.
“IOM urges European Union Member States to put the best interests of the child at the centre of every decision, to guarantee timely access to services, and never to detain children for immigration purposes,” the statement said.
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