A migrant mother and her children in an asylum camp in Greece (photo:AP)

In a report released on Wednesday, the UN agency said 170,000 unaccompanied children sought asylum in Europe in 2015-16. Nearly all minors who made it across the Mediterranean from Libya to Italy last year and so far in 2017 had arrived alone. UNICEF said children made up nearly a third of trafficking victims world-wide, with high risk experiencing violence or sexual abuse.

UNICEF called on the Group of Seven richest nations, whose leaders meet in Italy on May 26-27, to commit to better safeguarding their rights by ceasing to detain children, enhancing efforts to keep families together and ensuring minors are given schooling and health care.