BRUSSELS – A total of 774 unaccompanied refugee children went missing in Belgium in 2024, with at least 101 cases classified as particularly alarming, according to the daily De Standaard.
On average, nearly 15 unaccompanied minors vanished each week. Only 246 were eventually located, while over 500 remain untraceable.
The alarming cases involve minors under 13, children with medical needs, or those last seen in unsafe circumstances.
“Children who flee unaccompanied by an adult are extremely vulnerable. The fact that our government cannot even protect these children is a sad failure,” said Green Party MP Matti Vandemaele, who obtained the figures.
He urged Belgium’s ministers of asylum and justice to take immediate action, including appointing guardians upon arrival and improving reception conditions to prevent disappearances.
Experts warn that some children are trafficked, exploited, or forced into crime, while others leave in fear after asylum rejection. Many disappear before being properly registered, making it difficult for organizations to intervene.
Between 2021 and 2023, 2,257 unaccompanied minors disappeared in Belgium, placing it among the top three countries in Europe.
ANADOLU, 9.7.2025
