- May 2025
Unaccompanied and separated migrant children face great risks to their safety, well-being and dignity. Yet there is too little awareness of the specific dangers they face, the reasons behind their separation or how to reduce such risks.
While separation on migratory journeys can be a choice, involuntary separation can greatly increase children’s vulnerability to a variety of risks. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Red Cross Red Crescent Global Migration Lab and multiple National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (National Societies) are currently conducting qualitative research on separations and disappearances across 19 countries in Africa, the Americas and Europe. This article presents initial findings from data collected with migrant children and young adults, including refugees and asylum seekers, in vulnerable situations in Europe.
Migrant children separated from their families or travelling alone are at heightened risk of sickness, injury and violence (including sexual violence and abuse), trafficking and exploitation, and going missing.[1] Children can be particularly vulnerable as they may not be able to meet their essential needs, and may be rapidly pushed into harmful coping mechanisms, including hazardous or dangerous forms of child labour, survival sex or child marriage.[2]
Separation as a strategy
As discussed below, not all separations are the same. Family separation can be a conscious choice to follow a ‘step migration’ path, where some family members migrate at one time and others seek to follow them later.[3] Although any separation may heighten the risks that children face in migration, such conscious separation does allow migrant families to take precautions, such as by ensuring that children are accompanied by other people they know.
By contrast, when separation occurs unexpectedly, children’s vulnerability can dramatically increase. For instance, the data shows that where people are seeking to migrate with a large family, it becomes harder to ensure children are not separated. In other cases, children are themselves fleeing family-sanctioned abuse (such as child marriage) and have no alternative but to travel alone and often with no contact with their family. They may also be encouraged to leave by family members due to the threat of forced recruitment or violence. There are also cases where children leave alone without the permission of their parents.
Separations caused by smugglers
The data sheds light on the circumstances under which separation is likely to occur for children and young adults travelling across the Mediterranean and within Europe. Faced with limited safe and legal pathways for asylum and regular migration, migrants’ dependence on smugglers heightens a range of risks, including involuntary family separation. When smugglers assign individuals to vessels or vehicles for a journey, families may be split by gender or age, isolating fathers from children and siblings from each other. As noted by a key informant:
“[I remember the case of two] unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who fled Afghanistan together through Europe… Smugglers made the older sibling leave the younger sibling behind… and he was looking for his younger sibling… Sadly, he received the news that his younger sibling had passed away… That is unfortunately really, really common.”
Given the high risk of trafficking and sexual violence faced by children, in particular girls, boarding of boats and vehicles can also be used as an opportunity to deliberately isolate potential trafficking targets. For instance, in one case from the data a child was taken from their mother when the mother declined sex with smugglers; the child is still missing.
Separations caused by health challenges and violence
Irregular migration is increasingly risky and arduous, particularly for children and the frail. Sickness, tiredness or pregnancy can lead to families separating, with migrants left with no option but to sacrifice family unity so that one or more family members may continue their journey. As one migrant explained:
“During the migration process in the forests, for example, if a kid got tired or someone got tired and they sit a little bit, they won’t wait for him or her, they will continue. So, some of the other family members will continue with the rest because if they stop or go back to find this person, they also will lose the path…”
Many journeys also involve leaving, or passing through, countries in conflict or otherwise dangerous contexts where separation is an ever-present risk. This is exemplified in the data by the case of a mother whose two children went missing on their journey following an explosion and shooting.
Separations at borders
When groups of migrants seek to cross borders, including within Europe, the real or perceived actions of authorities, including the use of force or the deliberate isolation of family members (such as separation by gender or age), can lead migrants to rapidly disperse in panic and confusion, contributing to separation of families. Indeed, there is evidence that pushbacks at borders (both land and sea) can drive separation as migrants seek to evade authorities.[4] Children cannot run from the police as fast as adults can, which increases the chances of family separation in such situations. If families are caught by the authorities at a border or elsewhere, they can be deported separately or held in separate detention places. As noted by a key informant:
“You know if there is a group that is chased by police or border guards… they might become split up. Family members might be put in separate vehicles by agents, you know, told that they would meet up with the family at a later point on the journey, but it doesn’t happen.”
In some cases, migrants have reported that parents deliberately separate from children before attempting to cross a land border because they believe the children will be more likely to be permitted to stay if they travel alone.
Mobile phones and loss of contact
Mobile phones are crucial for planning, navigation and documentation of journeys, enabling regular contact with family, friends and others who assist migrants, as well as smugglers.[5] There is significant risk associated with the loss of a device to theft or confiscation by authorities or others, and the need to maintain or restore contact through alternative means. As noted by one migrant:
“Because if you go through this route, there’s no way that you can escape your phone being taken, your money being taken, any papers that you have will be taken away. So, if you memorise one or two numbers of your family whenever you have a chance to, you can get in touch with them.”
Preventing child separation
The study also provides insights into the strategies and approaches that are, or could be, used to mitigate some of the risks.
The study shows that many children have a limited understanding of the challenges they may face. Key informants emphasise that dispelling the myth that the journey is easy or that it is relatively safe is a priority. Such awareness raising can begin in countries of origin, framed not by an agenda of dissuading people from migrating but by supporting them to do so as safely as possible, including by ensuring they can maintain contact with families through the provision of both information and services. For example, National Societies operate Humanitarian Service Points[6] along migration routes where migrants, irrespective of status, can access accurate and trusted information in multiple languages and Restoring Family Links services to help reunite with or contact their loved ones. Crucially though, the provision of information to migrants, both before and during their journeys, must confront the fact that decisions – be it to leave, which route to take, or how to travel – are often made spontaneously, with little planning and with limited choice.
- Self-protection strategies
Children adopt self-protection strategies. One element seen in the data is what one key informant called ‘invented kinship’, where groups of children travel together for both companionship and safety, and these ‘cousins’ become important to them as the journey progresses. For instance, such networks may be helpful for informing family members if someone is detained during the journey. Their separation, however, can lead to both distress and enhanced vulnerability for children.
Migrants were often aware of the need to memorise or record phone numbers to avoid losing contact if a mobile phone is lost or taken, and of the need for services to help them maintain or restore contact after the loss of their phones. For instance, National Societies along some migration routes in the Americas and Africa, as well as those operating along migratory routes leading to and through Europe, provide free phone calls, battery charging and access to wi-fi for migrants to reduce migrants’ reliance on their own mobile phones. Likewise, the ICRC has developed a safe platform and app – RedSafe – that provides reliable information on assistance and protection, and document storage facilities, to migrants and other people in vulnerable situations.
- Efforts to restore and protect family links
Data shows that efforts to search for, and reunite, missing or separated migrants present particular challenges. It is often hard to provide details about the separation, as migrants often lose their sense of time and space in stressful or fast-moving situations. Search efforts can be hindered as migrants choose, or are forced, to continue with their journeys despite their separation or are obstructed when relatives in countries of origin are unable to aid such efforts. An example is relatives’ inability to travel to where migrants have gone missing or to provide DNA samples to aid identification efforts.
There is also a need for greater awareness and access to support not only in countries of destination in Europe but also along routes, so that separated migrants – including children – can start searching for their families as soon as possible. Knowing where to turn to when searching for information about missing or separated relatives remains a significant challenge, especially when migrants are fearful for their own safety. It is crucial that efforts are made to ensure that migrants feel – and are – safe when accessing support.
- State policies and practices must not create or increase risks for migrants
Ultimately, these efforts will be limited unless States take all feasible measures to protect children and prevent involuntary family separation. States have the right to regulate migration but they must comply with international, regional and national obligations and commitments, including the protections and care to which children are entitled. Children have the right to be with their family or caregivers, and migration and border management policies should not deliberately or inadvertently cause separations.
This begins with focusing on how the policing of borders can increase the risk of separation, through the action of security forces that disperse groups of migrants and families in ways that make separation likely. Those policing borders should be aware of the risk such approaches incur and be supported to adopt alternatives. States should commit to end the immigration detention of children, and alternatives to both child detention and involuntary family separation should be explored.
States can also take action to minimise the risk of separation faced by child migrants within their borders. For example, the failure or breakdown of family reunification processes may lead family members to pursue riskier irregular options, heightening risks for children and their families. This makes fast family reunification – among other safe and legal pathways – imperative.
States should also make every effort to determine the fate and whereabouts of separated or missing family members reported by migrants, irrespective of their legal status. States should be supported to maintain and re-establish contact, including through cooperation with concerned actors such as the International Red Cross Red Crescent Movement and other States. Every effort should be made to reunite unaccompanied and separated migrant children with their families or caregivers when in the best interests of the child.
The way forward
To prevent child separation in migration, it is crucial to ensure migrant children are aware of the risks they face on their journeys and are supported to take precautions if they do lose contact, such as through memorising or otherwise storing phone numbers; and to support migrant children in developing self-protection strategies, such as travelling in groups and building protective relationships with other migrants. All migrants, irrespective of legal status, should have access to support services, including services to restore and protect family links, such as those provided by the ICRC and National Societies.
Ultimately, though, the protection of migrant children and family links requires acknowledgment and action from all actors, especially States. States’ policies and practices must not create or increase risks for migrants. This requires the provision of safe and legal pathways for migration, ensuring that the policing of borders does not drive involuntary family separation, fast and effective family reunification procedures, and a concerted effort to re-establish contact between children and their family members separated during migration.
Magdalena Arias Cubas
Research Lead, Red Cross Red Crescent Global Migration Lab, Australia
mariascubas@redcross.org.au
Sanjana Bhardwaj
Research Assistant, Red Cross Red Crescent Global Migration Lab, Australia
sbhardwaj@redcross.org.au
Simon Robins
Research Advisor, Red Cross Red Crescent Missing Persons Centre, International Committee of the Red Cross, Switzerland
srobins@icrc.org
Jill Stockwell
Structural Support & Research Lead, Red Cross Red Crescent Missing Persons Centre, Central Tracing Agency at International Committee of the Red Cross, Switzerland
jstockwell@icrc.org
[1] Liddell B, Archer K, Batch N and Stockwell J (2025) (forthcoming) ‘The psychological impact of missing family on forcibly displaced people’, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychology
[2] UNICEF (2021) Uncertain Pathways: How gender shapes the experiences of children on the move
[3] Moskal M & Tyrrell N (2016) ‘Family migration decision-making, step-migration and separation: children’s experiences in European migrant worker families’, Children’s Geographies, Vol 14 (4): 453-467
[4] Save the Children (2022) Wherever we go, someone does us harm: Violence against refugee and migrant children arriving in Europe through the Balkans
[5] Save the Children (2019) Struggling to survive: Unaccompanied and separated children travelling the Balkans route
[6] Red Cross Red Crescent Global Migration Lab (2022) Migrants’ perspectives: Building Trust in humanitarian action
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