UN warns that most unaccompanied child migrants face heightened danger in Europe

A UN statement warned that more than 20,000 of the 31,100 children who entered Europe last year did so without a parent or guardian, making them highly vulnerable to abuse. Although overall child arrivals dropped by 25% compared with the previous year, the proportion of unaccompanied minors climbed to 67% from 51%, with boys representing 78% of the total. Interviews with 4,600 migrants aged 15 to 24 showed that almost half suffered physical violence during their journey, most commonly in Libya.

The International Organization for Migration’s director general, Amy Pope, stressed that children should not have to rely on smugglers or face such risks alone. The UN urged EU Member States to place the child’s best interests at the core of all decisions, guarantee timely access to protection services, and ban the detention of children for immigration purposes.