Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has called on people to take responsibility for migrant and refugee children, warning that minors on migration routes are particularly exposed to violence, exploitation and other traumatic experiences.
Speaking at the conclusion of his General Audience in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday, the Pope said his thoughts were with migrants and refugees, especially children and adolescents who have been forced to leave their homes.
He said children are among the most vulnerable people on the move and can face violence, torture, exploitation and traumatic conditions during their journeys. Some also lose their lives along migration routes.
Pope Leo urged people not to see the suffering of young migrants and refugees as someone else’s responsibility. He called on everyone to feel personally involved in protecting and caring for these young people.
The appeal comes four days before the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which will be observed on September 27. This year’s theme is “Even just one of these children.”
In his message for the World Day, published in August, Pope Leo highlighted the growing number of children and adolescents forced to leave their homes because of war, poverty, violence, environmental disasters and other crises.
The Pope also drew attention to the dangers faced by children during migration, including deaths along migration routes, trafficking, exploitation, recruitment into armed conflicts, sexual violence and forced marriage. He said children can also experience or witness severe suffering during their journeys.
Pope Leo stressed that these children should not be viewed only through statistics. Referring to the words of Jesus, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,” he called attention to the human dignity of every child affected by migration and forced displacement.
The scale of the crisis is reflected in figures from UNHCR’s Global Trends 2025 report, published in June 2026. It estimated that 117.8 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced at the end of 2025 because of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and the climate crisis.
The total included 41.6 million refugees, 9 million asylum seekers and 68.7 million people displaced within their own countries by conflict or violence.
Children accounted for a significant part of the displaced population. UNHCR estimated that 45 million children under the age of 18 were among those forcibly displaced at the end of 2025. Among refugees, people in refugee like situations and others in need of international protection, children accounted for 39 per cent.