At least 278 children died since the start of 2025 while on migration routes, with 136 dying at sea after fleeing conflict, hunger and climate shocks.
LONDON/GENEVA 17 December 2025 – Drowning was the leading cause of death for children on migration routes in 2025, accounting for half of all fatalities as stricter borders pushed children into perilous journeys, Save the Children said ahead of International Migrants Day.
According to an analysis of International Organization for Migration (IOM) data, at least 278 children died since the start of 2025 while on migration routes, with 136 dying at sea after fleeing conflict, hunger and climate shocks. However, the true number of child migrant fatalities is likely to be much higher due to a lack of disaggregated data on child migrants.
Last year was the deadliest year on record with almost 9,000 people dying on migration routes worldwide, according to IOM, however children are being forced to take ever more dangerous routes to seek safety.
In 2025, the deadliest sea routes for children were the Central Mediterranean Sea, followed by the Atlantic Maritime route and the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Mediterranean Sea, particularly the crossing from North Africa to Europe, has been the world’s deadliest migration passage for children since 2016, according to IOM data.
Melinda van Zyl, Save the Children’s Senior Advisor, Migration and Displacement, said:
“Child migrants are drowning because safe routes don’t exist. When borders close, danger fills the gap, turning seas into graveyards. Drowning should never be the price a child pays for seeking safety, yet children are feeling forced to take routes so dangerous they may never reach shore.
“This year, governments have slashed critical aid and doubled down on militarising borders — decisions that will have deadly consequences for children on the move.
“The 278 child migrant deaths recorded this year are just the tip of the iceberg, counting only children who were found and identified. The true toll is likely far higher, and it will keep rising as long as safe routes are closed and the root causes of migration go unaddressed. The more children are pushed onto dangerous journeys, the more will die.”
Earlier this year, Save the Children released a report that warned that the upcoming EU Pact on Migration and Asylum—a reform promised to balance stronger border security with greater protections for migrants—risks failing to safeguard children on the move towards Europe, particularly unaccompanied minors. It found that some European States are enacting or expanding restrictive measures such as child detention and reduced access to asylum, fuelling the securitisation of borders—often justified as enhanced national security.
Another recent Save the Children report warned that children on the move are facing growing danger along migration routes, as governments prioritise migration control and security over child protection. A lack of investment in greater child protection at borders and along migration routes is leaving children exposed to abuse, exploitation, and life-threatening risks.
International Migrants Day is observed on 18 December, reaffirming the need for safer, more inclusive, and fairer migration systems in a rapidly changing world.
Save the Children is calling on world leaders, partners, and all donors globally to financially invest in children and their futures to address the root causes of migration before it happens.
The child rights organisation is also calling for the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights to be upheld when managing migration.
Save the Children is calling on all governments to more rigorously collect data on migrant children, including information on their health, education, protection, and deaths. By addressing this data gap and making the data more widely available, we can better understand the challenges these children face and respond to their needs more effectively.
Save the Children has for decades implemented effective programmes across the world in countries of origin to address root causes of irregular migration, and to prevent unsafe child migration, while strengthening regional and cross-border child protection systems to protect children at risk of trafficking and exploitation. This includes digital and technological innovation and data-driven approaches.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
• According to an analysis of data collected by IOM, at least 278 child migrants have died while on the move since the beginning of 2025. Of those, we know the cause of death for 263 children, including 136 who died due to drowning and two who died because of drowning in conjunction with harsh environmental conditions and lack of adequate shelter, food, and water according to IOM classifications. https://missingmigrants.iom.int/downloads?xls=1742838678 Data downloaded on 16 December 2025.
