Since the second half of 2021, the Netherlands is facing a sharp increase in the number of unaccompanied minors (UAMs) applying for asylum. To have a better understanding of this increase, the Dutch government wanted to put the increase into a European perspective.

Eurostat provides figures on the number of UAMs, however, these figures are limited to UAMs who submit asylum applications. As shown in the Statistical Annex of the EMN Annual Report on Asylum and Migration of 2021, Member States also receive UAMs in the context of child protection outside the asylum procedure. With this query, the Dutch NCP wanted to get a better picture of the total influx of UAMs across the Member States.

The main findings of the query are as follows:

• Out of the 18 countries that provided a public answer to this ad hoc query, 11 reported having been confronted with the phenomenon of UAMs applying for other residence permits than those issued for international protection (outside the asylum procedure) between 2017 and 2021. However, even in countries where UAMs have the possibility of applying for a residence permit outside the asylum procedure, this process remains very rare, and the number of residence permits granted to UAMs on this basis is quite low.
   
• Residence permits available to UAMs outside the asylum procedure can be granted on the grounds of family reunification, humanitarian regularization, studies or work, or if the child is a victim of organized crime or human trafficking. In some countries, UAMs are granted protection without necessarily obtaining a residence permit.
   
• In general, data on the number of UAMs outside the asylum procedure is often unavailable, and most countries could only provide estimates of the number of UAMs concerned. This is because the child protection system in most countries collects data on the total number of UAMs, regardless of whether or not they have applied for international protection. Furthermore, it is often difficult to obtain data on UAMs that doesn’t include persons whose ages cannot be determined. Finally, there are also a number of UAMs who fall neither within the international protection procedures nor the child protection system (ex. minors residing at a private address, transit migrants or street children). Data on these minors is often difficult to estimate.

For more detailed information, please read the compilation of answers attached above.