Almost 20 000 unaccompanied minors among asylumseekers registered in the EU in 201

Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors

Almost 20 000 un accompanied minors among asylum seekers registered in the EU in 2018. One fourth are Afghans orEritreans.

In 2018, 19700 asylum seekers applying for international protection in the Member States of the European Union(EU)were considered to be unaccompanied minors. This is down by more than one third compared with 2017 (31400) and below the 2014 level (23 100),when the first increase was observed after remaining at a relatively constant level of around 12 000 per year between 2008 and 2013.In 2018, at the EU level, unaccompanied minors accounted for 10% of all asylum applicants aged less than 18.In 2018, a majority of unaccompanied minorswere males(86%). Three quarterswere aged 16 to 17(14800persons), while those aged 14to 15accounted for 17% (3 400persons) and those aged less than 14 for 7% (1400persons).Over halfof asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors in the EUin 2018were the citizens of six countries: Afghanistan(16%), Eritrea(10%), Pakistanor Syria(both 7%)and Guineaor Iraq(both 6%).

Eurostat 26 April 2019