IOM warns smugglers target children as 20,800 of 31,100 reached Europe alone in 2025

More than 20,000 of the 31,100 children who reached Europe along mixed migration routes in 2025 arrived without a parent or guardian, according to a press release issued on 7 October 2026 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). IOM Director General Amy Pope called for closer cooperation between European States and countries along the routes to protect children travelling alone. She also urged action against the smuggling and criminal networks that prey on them. The findings suggest that limited safe, protection-sensitive movement may be pushing young people toward riskier journeys. This has increased their reliance on smugglers and exposure to violence, exploitation and abuse.

Overall child arrivals by sea and land in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain fell by 25 per cent compared with 2024. Of the children who arrived, 78 per cent were boys and 22 per cent were girls. The share recorded as unaccompanied rose to 67 per cent, up from 51 per cent a year earlier. The highest proportions were recorded in Italy and Spain, where 86 per cent of children arrived alone. Italy ran against the downward trend, with the number of children rising by 12 per cent to almost 14,100, most from Egypt, Eritrea, Somalia, Bangladesh and Ethiopia.

IOM interviewed more than 4,600 adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 24 along the Mediterranean, Western African Atlantic and Western Balkan routes. Nearly half reported physical violence during their journeys. On the Central Mediterranean route, 28 per cent said they had been held against their will, while 17 per cent reported being forced to work. Libya remained the country most often cited as the place where abuse occurred. Safe alternatives also narrowed, with 3,400 children in refugee resettlement procedures to Europe in 2025, compared with 8,900 a year earlier.

“Children are making difficult and dangerous journeys without a parent or guardian by their side,” said Amy Pope, IOM Director General. She noted that the report shows how exposed children are to violence and exploitation when safe pathways are limited. Only 199 children were relocated between European States under the Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism, down 67 per cent, and none was unaccompanied. In total, 214,600 children sought international protection in Europe in 2025, with 79 per cent being first-time applicants. Around 71 per cent of first-time applications were lodged in Germany (30 per cent), France (19 per cent), Spain (15 per cent) and Greece (7 per cent).

Of 210,900 first-instance decisions on children’s claims, 56 per cent were positive, while rejections rose by 25 per cent. IOM urges European Union Member States to put the best interests of the child at the center of every decision and to guarantee timely access to services. The agency also stresses that children should never be detained for immigration purposes. Unaccompanied and separated children should have immediate access to legal representation, while age assessments should be rare, child-sensitive and open to appeal. The report was jointly produced by UNHCR, UNICEF and IOM.