The Struggles of Unaccompanied Refugee Children in Europe: A Growing Crisis
By Solomon Alaka
As Europe continues to grapple with a rising tide of migration, unaccompanied refugee children are increasingly caught in the cracks of a fragmented asylum system. Forced to embark on perilous journeys across multiple borders, many of these minors—often traveling alone or separated from their families—face exploitation, violence, and neglect. With authorities and NGOs scrambling to respond, the crisis is far from being resolved, and children continue to be left vulnerable to harm.
Escaping Conflict: The Journey of Vulnerable Children
Thousands of unaccompanied minors are arriving in Europe each year, fleeing conflict, poverty, and human rights abuses in their home countries. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) reports that the number of unaccompanied children arriving in key EU states such as Italy, Greece, and Spain has surged by 8% in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the previous year. The majority of these children are from war-torn nations like Afghanistan and Syria, with many traveling alone or with other minors, often with little to no adult supervision.
Take the example of Omid, an 18-year-old Afghan, who arrived in Trieste, Italy, after a harrowing 13-day journey through Bulgaria, during which he was beaten by police and forced to hide from authorities. Omid’s story is tragically common among the growing number of refugees seeking asylum in Europe. In Trieste alone, an average of 11 unaccompanied children arrive daily, with most planning to continue their journey to other European countries where they hope to find family or better opportunities.
A Lack of Support and Protection
Despite their vulnerability, many unaccompanied minors are left to fend for themselves upon arrival. Once in Italy, for example, local authorities are only responsible for minors who choose to stay and register. However, many children opt not to register for fear of being detained or separated from their companions. As a result, a significant number of these children miss out on essential state services, leaving them at risk of exploitation by smugglers or becoming invisible to both authorities and humanitarian aid organizations.
According to UNICEF, the number of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Europe more than doubled between 2020 and 2023, with over 46,000 children applying for asylum last year alone. The overwhelming majority of these children are from Syria and Afghanistan. But the real number of minors traveling through Europe is likely much higher, as many do not register with authorities upon arrival.
Gaps in the System and a Lack of Safe Routes
The lack of a coordinated and effective response to the needs of unaccompanied minors has been exacerbated by the European Union’s complex and inconsistent asylum procedures. In many instances, children are forced to navigate a convoluted process of family reunification requests, long waits for guardianship appointments, and often inadequate protection measures.
For example, under the EU’s Dublin Regulation, unaccompanied children can request to have their asylum application transferred to another member state where they have family. However, the process is slow and riddled with delays, in part due to onerous requirements like DNA testing to verify familial relationships. As a result, only 2% of transfer requests were made for family reunification in 2022, leaving many children stranded in countries where they may not have any family ties.
The introduction of the European Migration Pact in 2024, which aims to streamline asylum procedures and reinforce solidarity between EU members, has sparked concern among rights groups. While the pact includes provisions to ensure minors are assigned a guardian and receive protection, it has been criticized for failing to adequately address the gaps in existing systems. In particular, NGOs are warning that the pact could increase the detention of minors at borders, potentially putting them at risk of abuse or exploitation.
The Need for a Comprehensive Response
Advocates for unaccompanied minors emphasize the urgent need for a more comprehensive response to this growing crisis. Terry Smith of the European Guardianship Network points out that children need legal and safe routes to protection, rather than being subjected to dangerous and irregular migration routes. Furthermore, the system of guardianship, which assigns a legal representative to unaccompanied minors, is underfunded and overstretched, with many children waiting months for guardianship appointments, as seen with 17-year-old Ahmad from Afghanistan, who had been waiting over six months for his guardian in Trieste.
Carla Garlatti, Italy’s independent authority for children and adolescents, has called for more volunteer guardians and faster administrative procedures. She points out that guardians play a critical role in helping children integrate into society, and without adequate resources, the system will remain inadequate.
Despite these calls for action, much remains to be done. A significant portion of unaccompanied children, such as the Afghan boys in Trieste, end up sleeping rough, exposed to the elements, without access to basic needs like shelter, food, or medical care. The IRC’s Alessandro Papes noted that these children often end up “invisible to everyone apart from us”—an alarming situation that highlights the failure of European systems to protect the most vulnerable.
Conclusion
As the number of unaccompanied refugee children continues to rise, Europe’s response remains insufficient. A lack of legal pathways, inadequate guardianship systems, and inconsistent asylum procedures all contribute to a growing crisis that leaves children exposed to unimaginable risks. The European Migration Pact, while a step forward, must be strengthened with better resources and measures that prioritize the safety and rights of unaccompanied minors.
Until then, children like Omid, Ahmad, and many others will continue to face a perilous journey through Europe—one that, for too many, ends in uncertainty and suffering. To prevent further harm, Europe must act decisively to ensure the protection of these children, providing them not only with the necessary legal support but also the care and compassion they desperately need.
Image by freepik
