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IOM warns most migrant children reach Europe alone amid smuggler exploitation
Original: IOM Chief Warns Smugglers Prey on Children as 20,800 of 31,100 Reached Europe Alone in 2025
The head of the International Organization for Migration has warned that people smugglers are increasingly targeting children, saying that of roughly 31,100 children who arrived in Europe in 2025, about 20,800 — more than two-thirds — made the journey alone, without parents or guardians. The agency is urging stronger protection for unaccompanied minors and tougher action against the criminal networks exploiting them along migration routes.
Why now: The scale of unaccompanied child migration to Europe in 2025 is raising alarm about smuggler exploitation and gaps in child protection.
International Organization for MigrationEurope
Evidence
- IOM Chief Warns Smugglers Prey on Children as 20,800 of 31,100 Reached Europe Alone in 2025 · International Organization for Migration
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