The number of missing children in Europe is rapidly rising. According to the European Federation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children (MCE), over 124,000 virtual reports of missing children have been received between 2023 and 2024 alone. This number is nearly double that of the previous year. This information is provided by 'Glavcom' citing Euronews.
According to the report which covered data from 22 European countries, the most vulnerable children are those between the ages of 12 and 16.
According to reports, 67% of missing cases are related to children who have run away from home or care institutions. The most common causes are family problems, alcohol and drug abuse, as well as mental disorders. It is important to note that six out of ten runaway children are girls. However, the federation suggests that cases of disappearance involving boys may be less likely to be reported.
Even though most children are found within a week (78%), and 15% within a month, one tragic case is mentioned where a child was found dead.
Additionally, the number of cases of missing migrant children has also increased to 7% of the total. These children, mostly aged 12 to 17, predominantly arrive from Morocco, Afghanistan, Algeria, and Syria. The study 'Lost in Europe' shows that from 2021 to 2023, over 50,000 unaccompanied migrant children have gone missing in the EU.
MCE warns that there is actually very little data to fully understand the scale of this problem, complicating the provision of necessary assistance.
The rising number of missing children in Europe, especially among teenagers, threatens their safety and emphasizes the importance of developing effective measures to prevent such cases in the future.