Most child migrants reaching Europe in 2025 traveled alone: UN

A joint UN study found that more than 20,000 of the 31,100 children who reached Europe along migration routes last year arrived without a parent or guardian, pushing the unaccompanied share from 51% to 67% even as total arrivals fell 25%. Italy received over 12,000 unaccompanied minors, mostly from Egypt, Eritrea, Bangladesh, Somalia and Sudan, while Spain took in more than 4,700, chiefly from North and West Africa.

Nearly half of migrants aged 15 to 24 interviewed reported suffering physical violence during their journeys, particularly in Libya. The IOM's Amy Pope called for safe pathways and urged EU states to prioritize children's interests and never detain minors for immigration purposes.

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