In 2017, 31 000 unaccompanied minors sought asylum in the EU

In 2017, 31,400 unaccompanied minors sought asylum in countries belonging to the European Union (EU), revealed on Wednesday Eurostat, a Directorate-General of the European Commission that provides statistical information to the institutions of the European Union.

The current data represents half the number recorded in 2016 (63,200 unaccompanied minors). In total, in the European Union, unaccompanied minors accounted for 15% of all asylum seekers aged less than 18 years old.

In 2017, the majority of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum were boys (89%). Minors from Afghanistan (17%, or about 5,300 people) represent the majority of asylum seekers in the European Union.