Minors — under the age of 18 — may migrate in many different ways, through family reunification, moving in the hope of finding a better life, or through forced and traumatic migration caused by conflict, poverty or climate change. Overall, the number of minors in migration has been rising globally since the turn of the century. In 2020, there were an estimated 35.5 million international migrant minors globally, the largest number ever recorded. This is equivalent to around 1 in 66 minors worldwide living outside their country of birth. This infographic focuses exclusively on forced and irregular movements of migrant minors to the European Union. Eurostat figures show that, on 1 January 2024 around 7.5 million minors in the EU were not citizens of their country of residence. However, age assessment of migrants remains a critical challenge, as a significant number arrive without reliable identification documents to verify their claimed age. Source : © European Union, 2026 - EP Read more