UNICEF: Nearly 3,500 Migrant Children Perished Crossing the Mediterranean Over the Past Decade
Despite repeated tragedies and global outcry, thousands of migrant children continue to perish in the Mediterranean. A decade of silence and inaction has cost young lives, and the true toll may be far greater.
By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed in a sobering report that nearly 3,500 migrant children have died or disappeared over the past ten years while attempting the perilous sea journey across the central Mediterranean to reach Italy.
Describing the route from North Africa to Europe as the most dangerous migration path in the world, UNICEF cautioned that the actual number of child fatalities may be significantly higher than reported due to the lack of comprehensive documentation and identification. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 22,000 people have died or gone missing along this route since 2014.
UNICEF emphasized that one in every six migrants attempting this crossing is a child, with the majority traveling unaccompanied. “Most of these children embark on this journey alone, vulnerable to systematic abuse and exploitation,” the agency reported, citing previous findings which show that eight out of ten minors making the journey have faced violence, sexual exploitation, forced labor, or child marriage.
The agency also recalled the catastrophic shipwreck of Apr. 18, 2015, in which over 1,000 migrants drowned. “That tragedy should have been a turning point for collective international action to protect children at all stages of migration—at origin, transit, and destination,” the report stated. “Instead, the following years have seen countless vessels capsize, extinguishing the lives of thousands more children.”
In response to the continued humanitarian toll, the Italian government, under the far-right leadership of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has intensified efforts to halt irregular migration. Rome has signed controversial migration agreements with both Tunisia and Libya—key departure points for migrant boats—offering financial assistance in exchange for border enforcement and prevention of migrant departures.
Despite these measures, migration continues. According to the Italian Ministry of Interior, 11,805 migrants arrived on Italian shores between January 1 and April 14, 2025, among them 1,588 unaccompanied minors. In 2024, the number of unaccompanied minors reached 8,034, a significant drop from 18,820 the year before.
UNICEF also underscored that many migrant children remain deprived of their most basic rights. “The deprivation faced by children affected by displacement is an enduring crisis,” the report warned.
As part of its policy recommendations, UNICEF called on European and regional authorities to end the practice of detaining migrant and asylum-seeking children and to prioritize family unity as a core protection principle. The agency stressed that safeguarding children requires proactive cooperation, not merely at destination points, but across all phases of their displacement journey.
