There is little available research and resources that focus specifically on the numbers, patterns and experiences of unaccompanied asylum-seeking, refugee and migrant adolescent girls in Europe. They are often hidden within the terms "children" and "women and girls", with data specific to unaccompanied girls often lacking.
Such girls tend to be less visible than their male counterparts, with unaccompanied boys accounting for nearly 90% of unaccompanied and separated children asylum claims in Europe in 2017.
This report examines the heightened risks and threats of gender-based violence (GBV) that unaccompanied adolescent girls experience before, during and after migration, including trafficking. It outlines some of the gaps GBV A of Responsibility (AoR) HELPDESK Research Report and challenges in the identification, assessment and referral systems, services and mechanisms for unaccompanied girls.
Finally, there is an annotated bibliography with case studies, research and tools related to the identification of unaccompanied adolescent girls. Current resources and data on this topic are limited; building on these would help to inform assistance and services targeted towards unaccompanied girls on migratory routes, and with their identification upon arrival in a new country and when unaccompanied.