The "Invisible Children": Uncertain Future of Unaccompanied Minor Migrants in Europe.

Over the last few years, several countries of the European Union (EU) have dealt with increasing numbers of unaccompanied minor migrants, mainly originating from countries experiencing armed conflicts and oppression, or abuses of human rights. These children, also defined as “separated children,”1 are under 18 years of age, are outside their home country, apart from their parents or their previous legal or customary primary caregiver, and are traveling to Europe typically to escape conditions of serious deprivation or exploitation. These children are fragile, whether physically, intellectually, or socially. They lack the care and protection of their caregivers, and may be easily exposed to abuse and neglect. Because of their particular helpless condition, the unaccompanied minor migrants are at serious risk to be further deprived of their rights, and to become de facto “invisible” to the authorities, to the public health services, and in general to the public opinion. Furthermore, when they arrive at a destination, or during their journey through Europe, many children often vanish. The aim of this article is to raise awareness of the “invisible children,” particularly in those countries that only recently have experienced a mass migration of populations from different endangered parts of the world.