More than two-thirds of migrant and refugee children arriving in Europe in 2025 were unaccompanied, according to a new report by three UN agencies.
These children face violence and exploitation during their journeys, particularly when limited safe routes leave them dependent on smugglers, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the UN refugee agency UNHCR and UNICEF said in a joint report.
"This report shows how exposed they are to violence and exploitation when safe pathways are limited, and they are forced to rely on smugglers," IOM Director-General Amy Pope said. "No child should have to face these risks alone."
Of the 31,100 children recorded arriving last year, 20,800, or 67%, arrived in Europe through major migration routes in 2025 without a parent or guardian, according to the agencies, routes that are used by people travelling for different reasons and with different legal statuses, including refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants.
Of all children recorded arriving in 2025, 78% were boys and 22% were girls. The number of children arriving by land and sea fell by 25% compared with 2024, however, the proportion arriving without a parent or guardian increased from 51% in 2024 to 67% last year.
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The IOM also interviewed more than 4,600 adolescents and young adults aged between 15 and 24 along Mediterranean, West African Atlantic and Western Balkan migration routes.
Nearly half of those surveyed said they had experienced physical violence during their journeys. Libya was the country most frequently cited as a place where such abuse had occurred.
The report warned that fewer opportunities for safe travel could push young people towards more dangerous journeys, making them more dependent on smugglers and increasing their exposure to violence, exploitation and abuse.
More than 14,000 children arrived in Italy, with many coming from East Africa and Bangladesh. In Greece, many were from Afghanistan and Syria, while children arriving in Spain mainly came from Algeria, Morocco and West Africa.
