More than lines on a map: what refugee journeys really mean for children

For many children, becoming a refugee is not a choice. When it’s no longer safe to stay at home, they must leave everything familiar behind to seek safety and protection with their families. By the end of 2025, there were 45.3 million forcibly displaced children (including refugees and asylum seekers), accounting for 38 per cent of the world’s 117.8 million displaced people.

Half of all refugee children originate from just four countries: Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Sudan. 

A global picture of why and where children and families move 

Conflicts, authoritarian governments, poverty, and climate disasters are forcing more people from their homes. Over time, this has led to the formation of major migration routes.  

As people travel along these routes, they are joined by many other refugees and asylum seekers whose reasons for leaving vary. This is known as “mixed migration.”  

Despite these widespread movements, most displaced people remain close to home, often staying within their own country or moving to neighbouring ones. As a result, regions such as Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America host the majority of the world’s displaced people.  

Some, however, travel much farther, crossing multiple countries by land and sea in search of safety along some of the world's busiest migration routes. 

One of the deadliest routes in the world for children 

The Central Mediterranean route connects North Africa, including Tunisia and Libya, to the Italian coast, and is one of the world's largest migration paths.  

It is also one of the deadliest, particularly for children. In 2024 alone, nearly 200,000 people attempted the journey to Europe, while more than 3,500 died or went missing in the central Mediterranean. 

Many children arriving in the European Union through this route, and around 70 per cent are unaccompanied – without a parent or legal guardian. This means the majority of children who died or disappeared were alone.  

Over the past decade, around 3,500 children have died or gone missing attempting the crossing to Italy -equivalent of one child losing their life every day for 10 years. These figures likely underestimate the true scale, as many shipwrecks go unreported and some have no survivors. 

These children are searching for peace, safety, and a future with better opportunities. Along the way, they face serious risks at every stage of their journey, including violence, exploitation, malnutrition, poor healthcare, and being separated from their families. 

Navigating complex routes through Asia and the Middle East 

Migration in the Middle East is largely driven by protracted conflicts in countries such as Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, making these journeys particularly difficult and unstable. As a result, the Southwest Asia route has become one of the world's most significant migration corridors for families and children. Economic and political pressures continue to drive irregular and mixed migration across the region, especially from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan towards Türkiye and, often, onward to the European Union. 

Many people travelling this route rely on smugglers, who often act without concern for their safety or wellbeing. This places already vulnerable people at high risk of exploitation and abuse. Children are especially at risk, as a large share of child trafficking happens during migration. Smugglers and traffickers use children's vulnerability, forcing them into horrendous situations such as forced labour and prostitution. 

Beyond the Southwest Asia route, Southeast Asia is also home to a major migration route. People from countries like Myanmar and Bangladesh attempt to cross the Andaman Sea and the Strait of Malacca to reach the coasts of Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.  

The largest migration within a continent  

In Africa, migration takes place largely within the continent rather than beyond it. Ongoing conflicts, persecution, poverty, prolonged drought, and hopes for better opportunities all drive people to move. Most journeys follow three main routes: 

Sudan is currently experiencing the largest child displacement crisis in the world. Since the conflict escalated in mid-April 2023, nearly 9.3 million people have been displaced, including approximately 5.6 million children, both internally and across borders. Many have fled to neighbouring countries such as Chad, Ethiopia and Egypt. 

A dangerous journey to the north 

Every day, families across South and Central America leave their homes and embark on a dangerous journey north. Many are driven by extreme poverty, ongoing violence, and limited access to education. Others are hoping to reunite with loved ones who have already emigrated. 

Between January and April 2024, it is estimated that over 65,000 children travelled through Guatemala in search of safety – an average of about 178 children each day. 

The main migration route in this region runs through Central America. It begins in South America and passes through countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, continuing on to Mexico and the United States. Along the way, families face constant risks, including exploitation and imprisonment. These dangers often persist even after they cross the border. 

Throughout the journey, many are detained or sent back to their home countries. When they return, life is often harder than before. Families may carry heavy debts from paying for the trip, while children can struggle with the impacts of detention or deportation. Violence remains a threat, and some have no safe home to return to, leaving them vulnerable to criminal groups. 

Tiago is one of many children on the move in Central America, undertaking a long and uncertain journey in search of safety and a better future. For his mother, the road has been anything but easy. 

“We left Venezuela,” she explains. “Along the way, I became very nervous. We were robbed. They asked us for money. Crossing the rivers is dangerous, and we have suffered mistreatment. Our goal is to reach the United States.”  

Her words reflect the reality faced by countless families travelling through the region, navigating risks, uncertainty and fear, while doing everything they can to protect their children. 

Along the route, mobile units, supported by UNICEF offer a moment of relief. Here, children like Tiago can access essential services, including health care, nutrition, clean water, and protection which are critical during such a dangerous journey. 

How these journeys shape a childhood 

While migration routes vary across regions, they are rarely direct and often long and unpredictable, exposing children to significant risks. For children, these routes are not just about reaching a new destination, they are about navigating uncertainty while still trying to learn, grow and hold on to childhood. 

That’s where UNICEF’s work comes in. Across migration routes and in the places children refugees arrive, UNICEF helps provide: 

• Safe spaces where children can play, learn and feel protected 
• Access to education so learning doesn’t stop 
• Health care and nutrition to support children’s wellbeing 
• Support for families, helping children stay connected and cared for 

Wherever children are caught in emergencies, UNICEF works to uphold their fundamental rights to protection and safety. Let's be there to continue this critical work for every child, no matter what.