IOM reports just over 31,000 children arrived in five European countries, more than 20,000 of them unaccompanied

7 October 2026

The International Organization for Migration reported that just over 31,000 children arrived in Greece, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Malta in 2025, about 25 per cent fewer than in 2024. More than 20,000 of them arrived without a parent or guardian. In a survey of more than 4,600 people aged 15 to 24, nearly half reported physical violence, 28 per cent said they had been held against their will and 17 per cent said they had been forced into work. Almost eight in ten respondents were male. The main route was the central Mediterranean, from Libya and Tunisia to Italy, and most of the abuse recorded took place in Libya. The findings come from a joint report with UNICEF and UNHCR. IOM Director General Amy Pope called for cooperation between European countries and transit states and for action against smuggling networks.