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

<p>By Sibel Morrow</p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – 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.</p> <p>Eurostat said the figure fell more than one-third compared with 2017 (31,400) and was also below the 2014 figure (23,100).</p> <p>Eurostat data said 86 percent of asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors in EU countries in 2018 were males.</p> <p>Over half of the applications of these minors in 2018 were citizens of Afghanistan, Eritrea, Pakistan, Syria, Guinea, or Iraq.</p> <p>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.</p>