19,700 minors seek asylum in EU in 2018: Eurostat

A total of 19,700 asylum seekers applying for international protection in European Union countries last year were unaccompanied minors, the union's statistical office said on Friday.

Eurostat said the figure fell more than one-third compared with 2017 (31,400) and was also below the 2014 figure (23,100).

Eurostat data said 86 percent of asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors in EU countries in 2018 were males.

Over half of the applications of these minors in 2018 were citizens of Afghanistan, Eritrea, Pakistan, Syria, Guinea, or Iraq.

Germany was the number one destination for unaccompanied minors, with 4,100, followed by Italy with 3,900, the U.K. with 2,900, and Greece with 2,600.