Children on the Move in Greece: September– December 2025

In the final quarter of 2025, Greece recorded a decline in overall sea arrivals, yet children continued to represent more than one-fifth of those arriving, with nearly one in three identified as unaccompanied or separated. Afghanistan, Egypt and Sudan remained the main countries of origin, while Crete consolidated its role as the primary entry point, including a sharp increase in arrivals of people fleeing the conflict in Sudan. Despite reduced numbers, protection risks for children persisted and, in key areas, intensified.

The brief documents how structural failures in child protection remain entrenched, including the reopening and expansion of so-called “safe zones” in camps, long criticised as unsafe and amounting to de facto deprivation of liberty. It highlights serious concerns over the new age-assessment framework, persistent gaps in guardianship and the consequences of the sharp loss of protection upon turning 18. The brief also examines the consequences of the three-month suspension of access to asylum for people arriving from North Africa.