Breaking news... UN: Most child migrants reaching Europe travel alone

More than 20,000 of the 31,100 children who reached Europe via migration routes last year arrived without their parents or guardians, according to a joint study published by the UN's child, migration and refugee agencies.

"This report shows how exposed children are to violence and exploitation when safe passage routes are limited and they are forced to rely on smugglers. No child should have to face these risks alone," said Amy Pope, Director of the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).

While the total number of children arriving by sea and land to Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain decreased by 25 percent compared to 2024, the rate of unaccompanied children increased from 51 percent to 67 percent.

While more than 12 thousand unaccompanied children came to Italy, the main countries of origin of these children were Egypt, Eritrea, Bangladesh, Somalia and Sudan.

On the other hand, more than 4,700 unaccompanied children arrived in Spain, mostly from Algeria, Morocco, Mali and Senegal.

IOM emphasizes that these journeys are seriously dangerous. Almost half of the immigrants interviewed by the organization between the ages of 15 and 24 stated that they were exposed to physical violence during their journey, especially in Libya.

The organization calls on European Union member states to prioritize the best interests of the child in every decision, to guarantee timely access to services and to never detain children for immigration purposes.