Crossing Lines: Realities of migrant children at EU external borders

As the European Union reshapes its migration framework through the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, serious concerns emerge about the continued erosion of child rights at EU borders. This report, produced by Save the Children, examines the lived realities of migrant children—particularly unaccompanied and separated minors—arriving at key EU external borders, including Greece, Italy, Spain (Canary Islands), Finland, and Poland. Drawing on interviews with practitioners, civil society reports, academic literature, and participatory research with children on the move, the study exposes the alarming consequences of securitised migration policies. While designed to manage migration flows, such measures—often justified on national security grounds—frequently subject children to detention, harsh border procedures, and rights violations, in contradiction with international legal obligations under the UNCRC and ECHR. The report warns that the Pact’s new border procedures risk codifying harmful practices, despite promising language on child protection. This research is a timely call to ensure that Europe’s approach to migration prioritises the best interests of the child in all circumnstances, including at borders.