According to UNHCR 35% of migrants entering the EU since 1 January 2016 are children. Many of them travel unaccompanied by an adult. In 2015 85,482 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in the EU, which is three times more than in 2014. Half of them are from Afghanistan, while 13% are from Syria.



More than 90% of migrants travelling to Europe use intermediaries, according to a report on migrant smuggling published by Europol published in February. These services are mostly provided by criminal groups.

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