(17 May 2018) – In 2017, 31 400 asylum seekers applying for international protection in the EU Member States were considered to be unaccompanied minors. This was nearly half the number recorded in 2016 and almost one-third of the peak registered in 2015.
In 2017, a majority of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum were males (89%). Considering age, over two-thirds were aged 16 to 17 (77%, or about 24 200 persons), while those aged 14 to 15 accounted for 16% (around 5 000 persons) and those aged less than 14 for 6% (almost 2 000 persons).
Afghan (17%, or around 5 300 persons) continued to be the main citizenship of asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors in the EU.
In 2017, the highest number of asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors was registered in Italy (with over 10 000 unaccompanied minors, or 32% of all those registered in the EU Member States), followed by Germany (9 100, or 29%), Greece (2 500, or 8%), the United Kingdom (2 200, or 7%), Austria (1 400, or 4%) as well as Sweden (1 300, or 4%) and the Netherlands (1 200, or 4%).