Two-thirds of refugee and migrant children arriving in Europe in 2025 were unaccompanied, many faced exploitation
More than two-thirds of the refugee and migrant children who reached Europe via Mediterranean and Balkan routes in 2025 were unaccompanied, according to a report by UN agencies. Despite a 25% overall drop in child arrivals compared to 2024, the proportion of children traveling alone increased from 51% to 67%. Among the 31,100 children arriving in countries including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, and Spain, over 20,000 were unaccompanied or separated from guardians, with Italy and Spain seeing 86% unaccompanied arrivals.
The report highlights increased risks faced by these children, including violence, exploitation, and reliance on smugglers due to shrinking safe migration pathways. Interviews with over 4,600 young migrants revealed that nearly half experienced physical violence, with many subjected to torture, kidnapping, and forced labor, often in Libya. The study also noted a steep decline in refugee resettlement and intra-European relocation of children in 2025, calling for stronger cooperation to dismantle smuggling networks and protect vulnerable minors during migration.
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