Data and Statistics Investigation

Within the last decade, tens of thousands of child migrants have vanished without a trace in Europe. Our investigation, conducted in 2021, uncovers the shocking disappearance of at least 18,000 unaccompanied child migrants between 2018 and 2020, raising serious concerns about the protection provided by European countries. Discover the inconsistencies and gaps in data that obscure the true extent of this crisis.

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190
Number of children in emergency childcare rises again
Data and Statistics Investigation
Nina Folkerts
02 July 2026
193
Human trafficking for criminal exploitation is on the rise: vulnerable young people are falling victim to organised crime
Data and Statistics Investigation
Qali Nur
18 June 2026
306
Almost half of young children in Somalia are acutely malnourished
Data and Statistics Investigation
Qali Nur
27 May 2026
1644
In 2025 nearly a quarter of asylum applications in the EU were made by children
Data and Statistics Investigation
Qali Nur
12 May 2026
888
UN condemns France once again for inadequate age verification measures
Data and Statistics Investigation
Mandy Meijer
17 April 2026
966
Palestinian children trapped in endless Israeli violence
Data and Statistics Investigation
Qali Nur
15 January 2026
676
Over 100,000 children displaced in Congo in two weeks
Data and Statistics Investigation
Qali Nur
18 December 2025
1166
Record number of children fleeing their homes
Data and Statistics Investigation
Qali Nur
20 November 2025
Fotocredit: Flickr
731
On the run for two and a half years: 13 million Sudanese children unsafe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Qali Nur
10 November 2025
1826
Maria Delaney and Patricia Devlin nominated for the Justice Media Awards Shortlist 2025
Data and Statistics Investigation
Maria Delaney
Patricia Devlin
05 June 2025
2502
With children's shoes, Europe commemorates 250 thousand children going missing every year
Data and Statistics Investigation
Guest journalist(s)
23 May 2025
3173
Impact
Data and Statistics Investigation
Emma van den Hof
07 May 2024
3395
500% increase in migrant children arriving alone in Ireland
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
3142
Missing unaccompanied minors in Europe more than doubled
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
2984
More than 51,000 disappearances of unaccompanied minors in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Roeland Termote
30 April 2024
3406
51.433 unaccompanied minors "lost" in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Elli Zotou
30 April 2024
2422
500% increase in migrant children arriving alone in Ireland
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
2824
51,000 foreign minors missing in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Angela Gennaro
Cecilia Ferrara
30 April 2024
3021
51,433 reports of missing unaccompanied minors in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Doruntina Islamaj
30 April 2024
2415
Nearly 47 child migrants a day vanished in Europe since 2021
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
1720
More than 50,000 unaccompanied child migrants have gone missing after arriving in Europe.
Data and Statistics Investigation
Emma van den Hof
30 April 2024
4466
More than 50,000 unaccompanied children disappeared in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Kristof Clerix
30 April 2024
53686
Data: explained
Data and Statistics Investigation
Emma van den Hof
30 April 2024
1569
51,000 refugee minors missing
Data and Statistics Investigation
Jan Wiese
30 April 2024
2384
Missing asylum children
Data and Statistics Investigation
Sanne Terlingen
26 May 2023
1952
440 children died en route to Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Roeland Termote
23 June 2021
1906
440 children died on their way to Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Kristof Clerix
23 June 2021
1941
At least 440 children died trying to get to Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Adriana Homolová
Monica Lam
23 June 2021
2586
The Spoon River of migrant children: 440 dead to reach Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Cecilia Ferrara
23 June 2021
1754
440 children have died on their journey to Europe in the past three years
Data and Statistics Investigation
Doruntina Islamaj
23 June 2021
1752
440 children died trying to reach Europe between 2018 and 2021
Data and Statistics Investigation
23 June 2021
1766
440 children lost their lives on the way to Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Elli Zotou
23 June 2021
2410
Lost in Europe. The Game, boys at the borders
Data and Statistics Investigation
Cecilia Ferrara
26 May 2021
4036
More than 18,000 migrant children go missing in Europe. “This is a story of hu
Data and Statistics Investigation
25 May 2021
3126
More than 18,000 foreign minors have disappeared in Europe within three years
Data and Statistics Investigation
12 May 2021
1907
'The glass wall' Stories of unaccompanied foreign minors
Data and Statistics Investigation
Cecilia Ferrara
12 May 2021
1971
The countries of origin
Data and Statistics Investigation
Adriana Homolová
30 April 2021
1971
99 problems with data
Data and Statistics Investigation
Adriana Homolová
30 April 2021
2254
Nearly 17 child migrants a day vanished in Europe since 2018
Data and Statistics Investigation
Ismail Einashe
22 April 2021
1638
The migrant children that Europe betrays: more than 16 unaccompanied minors disa
Data and Statistics Investigation
Cecilia Ferrara
22 April 2021
1852
18,000 unaccompanied migrant minors missing
Data and Statistics Investigation
Cecilia Ferrara
20 April 2021
1609
Europe: 18,292 unaccompanied minor migrants missing between 2018 and 2020
Data and Statistics Investigation
20 April 2021
2226
18,292 unaccompanied minors disappeared in Europe in three years
Data and Statistics Investigation
Elli Zotou
19 April 2021
3658
Thousands more asylum seekers missing in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Sanne Terlingen
18 April 2021
2845
Disappeared in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Adrian Bartocha
Jan Wiese
18 April 2021
4065
18,000 disappearances of unaccompanied children in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
Kristof Clerix
18 April 2021
1868
In three years more than 18,000 disappearances of unaccompanied child migrants
Data and Statistics Investigation
Roeland Termote
18 April 2021
1944
More than 18,000 migrant children have disappeared
Data and Statistics Investigation
18 April 2021
1813
It’s about children, not numbers
Data and Statistics Investigation
12 December 2020
1982
Nearly 14,000 unaccompanied children applied for asylum in the EU in 2019
Data and Statistics Investigation
Qali Nur
28 April 2020
2104
Procecutor Warner Ten Kate: 'Many children are still running away'
Data and Statistics Investigation
10 April 2020
2030
30,000 migrant children disappeared in Europe between 2014 and 2017
Data and Statistics Investigation
Qali Nur
12 March 2020
1937
19,845 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in the EU in 2018
Data and Statistics Investigation
Qali Nur
02 March 2020
1609
177 children disappeared from the Asylum Seeker' Center Oisterwijk, NL
Data and Statistics Investigation
12 January 2020
1918
Frugal reception does not detain asylum children
Data and Statistics Investigation
06 November 2019
2531
1600 children disappeared from asylum centers
Data and Statistics Investigation
02 June 2019
2571
Many children disappear from shelter
Data and Statistics Investigation
29 March 2019
1674
Hundreds of trafficked children 'lost' by local authorities
Data and Statistics Investigation
Ismail Einashe
15 December 2018
2422
'Lost in Europe' in search of thousands of missing migrant children
Data and Statistics Investigation
Geesje van Haren
Sanne Terlingen
27 October 2018
Number of children in emergency childcare rises again
Data and Statistics Investigation
02 July 2026
Human trafficking for criminal exploitation is on the rise: vulnerable young people are falling victim to organised crime
Data and Statistics Investigation
18 June 2026
Almost half of young children in Somalia are acutely malnourished
Data and Statistics Investigation
27 May 2026
In 2025 nearly a quarter of asylum applications in the EU were made by children
Data and Statistics Investigation
12 May 2026
UN condemns France once again for inadequate age verification measures
Data and Statistics Investigation
17 April 2026
Palestinian children trapped in endless Israeli violence
Data and Statistics Investigation
15 January 2026
Over 100,000 children displaced in Congo in two weeks
Data and Statistics Investigation
18 December 2025
Record number of children fleeing their homes
Data and Statistics Investigation
20 November 2025
Fotocredit: Flickr
On the run for two and a half years: 13 million Sudanese children unsafe
Data and Statistics Investigation
10 November 2025
Maria Delaney and Patricia Devlin nominated for the Justice Media Awards Shortlist 2025
Data and Statistics Investigation
05 June 2025
With children's shoes, Europe commemorates 250 thousand children going missing every year
Data and Statistics Investigation
23 May 2025
Impact
Data and Statistics Investigation
07 May 2024
500% increase in migrant children arriving alone in Ireland
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
Missing unaccompanied minors in Europe more than doubled
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
More than 51,000 disappearances of unaccompanied minors in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
51.433 unaccompanied minors "lost" in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
500% increase in migrant children arriving alone in Ireland
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
51,000 foreign minors missing in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
51,433 reports of missing unaccompanied minors in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
Nearly 47 child migrants a day vanished in Europe since 2021
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
More than 50,000 unaccompanied child migrants have gone missing after arriving in Europe.
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
More than 50,000 unaccompanied children disappeared in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
Data: explained
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
51,000 refugee minors missing
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2024
Missing asylum children
Data and Statistics Investigation
26 May 2023
440 children died en route to Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
23 June 2021
440 children died on their way to Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
23 June 2021
At least 440 children died trying to get to Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
23 June 2021
The Spoon River of migrant children: 440 dead to reach Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
23 June 2021
440 children have died on their journey to Europe in the past three years
Data and Statistics Investigation
23 June 2021
440 children died trying to reach Europe between 2018 and 2021
Data and Statistics Investigation
23 June 2021
440 children lost their lives on the way to Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
23 June 2021
Lost in Europe. The Game, boys at the borders
Data and Statistics Investigation
26 May 2021
More than 18,000 migrant children go missing in Europe. “This is a story of hu
Data and Statistics Investigation
25 May 2021
More than 18,000 foreign minors have disappeared in Europe within three years
Data and Statistics Investigation
12 May 2021
'The glass wall' Stories of unaccompanied foreign minors
Data and Statistics Investigation
12 May 2021
The countries of origin
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2021
99 problems with data
Data and Statistics Investigation
30 April 2021
Nearly 17 child migrants a day vanished in Europe since 2018
Data and Statistics Investigation
22 April 2021
The migrant children that Europe betrays: more than 16 unaccompanied minors disa
Data and Statistics Investigation
22 April 2021
18,000 unaccompanied migrant minors missing
Data and Statistics Investigation
20 April 2021
Europe: 18,292 unaccompanied minor migrants missing between 2018 and 2020
Data and Statistics Investigation
20 April 2021
18,292 unaccompanied minors disappeared in Europe in three years
Data and Statistics Investigation
19 April 2021
Thousands more asylum seekers missing in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
18 April 2021
Disappeared in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
18 April 2021
18,000 disappearances of unaccompanied children in Europe
Data and Statistics Investigation
18 April 2021
In three years more than 18,000 disappearances of unaccompanied child migrants
Data and Statistics Investigation
18 April 2021
More than 18,000 migrant children have disappeared
Data and Statistics Investigation
18 April 2021
It’s about children, not numbers
Data and Statistics Investigation
12 December 2020
Nearly 14,000 unaccompanied children applied for asylum in the EU in 2019
Data and Statistics Investigation
28 April 2020
Procecutor Warner Ten Kate: 'Many children are still running away'
Data and Statistics Investigation
10 April 2020
30,000 migrant children disappeared in Europe between 2014 and 2017
Data and Statistics Investigation
12 March 2020
19,845 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in the EU in 2018
Data and Statistics Investigation
02 March 2020
177 children disappeared from the Asylum Seeker' Center Oisterwijk, NL
Data and Statistics Investigation
12 January 2020
Frugal reception does not detain asylum children
Data and Statistics Investigation
06 November 2019
1600 children disappeared from asylum centers
Data and Statistics Investigation
02 June 2019
Many children disappear from shelter
Data and Statistics Investigation
29 March 2019
Hundreds of trafficked children 'lost' by local authorities
Data and Statistics Investigation
15 December 2018
'Lost in Europe' in search of thousands of missing migrant children
Data and Statistics Investigation
27 October 2018

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