New data on child migrants highlighted the harrowing treatment many face while travelling to Europe in search of work and shelter.
Just over 31,000 children arrived in Greece, Italy, Spain, Bulgaria and Malta last year. This is 25 per cent less than in 2024.
Of more than 4,600 teenagers and young adults aged 15-24 surveyed, nearly half reported suffering physical violence.
One of the main routes migrants take today is the through the central Mediterranean from Libya and Tunisia in northern Africa, to Italy.
Among the adolescents and young adults who made the journey, 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 10 are male.
One 19-year-old migrant worker from Bangladesh cited in the report said his boss in Libya took away his passport and forced him into slave labour, hitting him when he was considered not to be working hard enough.
A 20-year-old woman from Liberia said that she arrived in Algeria where she was raped and forced to work as a cleaner. At seven months’ pregnant, she escaped on a boat to Spain.
Director General of the migration agency Amy Pope called for stronger cooperation between European countries and States, and more action on behalf of children being preyed on.
In 2025, European countries reported a total of more than 700,000 new applications for asylum, which is a significant decrease from 2024.