Most child migrants reaching Europe in 2025 traveled alone: UN

Almost half of migrants ages 15 to 24 whom the agency interviewed said they had suffered physical violence during their journeys, particularly in Libya. A 12-year-old unaccompanied minor who crossed into Spain is escorted by a Spanish soldier to the Spain-Morocco border as the child begs not to be sent back to Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue) (AFP) — Most migrant children who reached Europe last year were traveling alone, the United Nations 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 U.N. children’s, migration and refugee agencies said in a joint study. “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, head of the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration. “No child should have to face these risks alone.” While the overall number of children arriving by sea and land in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain fell by 25% compared with 2024, the proportion of unaccompanied children rose from 51% to 67%. More than 12,000 unaccompanied children arrived in Italy, primarily from Egypt, Eritrea, Bangladesh, Somalia and Sudan. More than 4,700 unaccompanied minors arrived in Spain, chiefly from Algeria, Morocco, Mali and Senegal. “The journeys are dangerous,” the migration agency said. Almost half of migrants ages 15 to 24 whom the agency interviewed said they had suffered physical violence during their journeys, particularly in Libya. “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. Our weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.