The current study aims to:

• Identify changes in (Member) States’ policies and practices in relation to unaccompanied minors (UAMs) which have occurred since 2009, from the moment of arrival at the external borders or on the EU territory until a durable solution may be found;
• Provide new comparable statistics for the period 2009 to 2014;
• Fill knowledge gaps identified by the previous EMN work, notably to distinguish between asylum-seeking UAMs and those who have been granted refugee status or other forms of international protection, and non-asylum seeking UAMs, including those who entered irregularly and victims of trafficking;
• Explore the situation of UAMs who go missing or abscond from reception and/ or care facilities;
• Understand how (Member) States address the situation of UAMs reaching 18 years of age whilst in reception and/ or care; and finally
• Highlight good practices which may serve to inform policy-makers of approaches to further strengthen the protection of UAMs in the EU, along with identifying areas in which more work may need to be done.