A recent monitoring report by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has revealed a worrying trend: the number of unaccompanied children arriving in Trieste, northeastern Italy, doubled in 2023. The report states that 3,000 unaccompanied children reached Trieste via the Balkan Route last year, nearly all of them boys fleeing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
This influx of unaccompanied minors, accounting for nearly 20 percent of all individuals assisted by the IRC and its partners, has raised alarms among officials and communities. The IRC report highlights that 94 percent of these minors are Afghan nationals, with the remainder coming from Pakistan and Turkey. While a few intend to seek asylum in Trieste, most view it as a transit point before moving to countries like Germany, France, and Belgium to file their asylum claims.
The journey to Trieste is fraught with peril, and the living conditions upon arrival are often deplorable. Alessandro Papes, the IRC’s Area Manager in Trieste, noted that the IRC encounters about eight children traveling alone per day. These children face severe risks, including violence, pushbacks, child labor, and sexual exploitation. Many arrive malnourished, injured, and suffering from conditions such as insomnia, headaches, and drug dependence. One of the most pressing issues they face in Trieste is the lack of access to emergency temporary accommodation.
Media reports have documented the dire situation of hundreds of Syrian and Afghan asylum seekers living in a dilapidated storage structure near the Trieste train station, known as the “Silo of Shame.” This abandoned building lacks basic sanitary facilities, forcing many to live in squalor among rats and on dirty floors.
The IRC’s latest Watchlist underscores the severity of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with over 23.3 million people—more than half the population—in need of assistance. The economic collapse following the Taliban takeover has exacerbated the situation, with significant cuts to social services and blocked international development funding. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that more than 1.6 million Afghans have fled since 2021, contributing to one of the largest protracted refugee situations globally.
The IRC’s Papes emphasized the urgent need for an emergency overnight shelter for unaccompanied children and child-friendly spaces in Trieste. As Italy and the EU move toward implementing the new EU Asylum and Migration Pact, there is a critical need to safeguard the rights of children and ensure unobstructed access to asylum.
A recent investigation by Lost in Europe highlighted that, on average, 47 children have vanished each day after arriving in Europe over the past three years. The whereabouts of an estimated 50,000 children remain unknown, underscoring the vulnerabilities these young migrants face.