Thousands of Children Dead and Missing at EU Borders

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) states that over an 11-year period, more than 44,000 migrant children have lost their lives at the borders of Belarus and the European Union, while those who managed to reach Europe have faced physical violence.

The IOM announced that between 2014 and 2025, at least 4,414 children died or went missing along irregular migration routes. Children accounted for 28% of the casualties at the Belarus-EU border. However, these figures represent only conservative estimates, as the identities and ages of many victims remain unrecorded.

In 2025, approximately 31,000 children arrived in Europe, nearly 20,000 of whom were unaccompanied by parents or legal guardians. Furthermore, nearly half of the young people surveyed by the organization reported having experienced physical violence.