The investigation “Lost in Europe” won the “Daphne Caruana Galizia” Journalism Award; for 2024 due to revelations about the disappearance of over 50,000 unaccompanied migrant children.
The investigation, carried out by media from Germany, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and the United Kingdom, revealed that at least 51,433 unaccompanied migrant children went missing after arriving in European countries between 2021 and 2023.< /p>
Roberta Mezzola, President of the European Parliament, Pina Picerno, Vice-President responsible for the award, and representatives of the independent pan-European jury for the award participated in the award ceremony held in the press center “Daphne Caruana Galicia” of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
Roberta Mezzola stated: “The case of Daphne Caruana Galizia remains alive through the work of journalists who chose the truth as their life's cause and did not allow their voices to be silenced. Their fight for justice prevails over the threats that aim to prevent them from fulfilling their mission. Freedom of speech is non-negotiable. Seven years after Daphne's murder, we continue to honor her memory with an award that reminds us of Parliament's long-standing commitment to these core values.
Between May 3 and July 31, 2024, hundreds of journalists from the 27 EU countries submitted their materials for participation in the competition. Before the winner was chosen, thirteen of the 318 submitted applications were selected as finalists by the jury.
More about the award-winning investigation
„Lost in Europe“ reveals shocking facts: since 2021, an average of 47 children have disappeared every day after arriving in Europe.
Data collected by “Lost in Europe” from 31 European countries, including Austria, Germany and Italy, testify to the disappearance of tens of thousands of migrant children.
The months-long investigation shows that the number of missing migrant children may be even higher, as inconsistent record-keeping and a lack of data from some countries represent significant reporting gaps.
This latest investigation is based on the study “Lost in Europe” from 2021, which revealed that over 18,000 migrant children went missing in Europe between 2018 and 2020.
As noted by the Secretary General of the European organization “Missing children in Europe” Ahie Yeven, the findings are likely only the “tip of the iceberg”, as the number of missing migrant children in Europe continues to rise at an alarming rate. Many fear that they will become victims of human trafficking and modern slavery.
Media partners in this investigation are De Standaard, (Belgium), Small Stream Media (Netherlands), RBB (Germany), Knack (Belgium), ANSA (Italy), Domani (Italy), CNN (UK/US) , VRT (Belgium), Εfimerida ton Syntakton (Greece), The Journal (Ireland), Tagesschau (Germany) and NRC (Netherlands).
Prize Information
The “Daphne Caruana Galicia“ was established by a decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament in December 2019 as a tribute to the Maltese investigative journalist, blogger and anti-corruption activist who was killed in a car bomb attack in 2017.
The award is presented every year on the day of the anniversary of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia for outstanding journalistic achievements that promote or defend the fundamental principles and values of the European Union such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and the rights of the person.
Professional journalists and journalistic teams of any nationality can submit their in-depth material published or broadcast by media in one of the 27 member states of the European Union. The purpose of the award is to support and emphasize the importance of professional journalism in guaranteeing freedom, equality and opportunities for development.
The independent jury consists of media and civil society representatives from the 27 EU member states and a representative of the International Federation of Journalists.
The prize and the monetary reward of 20,000 euros testify to the European Parliament's support for investigative journalism and free media.
Past winners of the award
2021 – “The Pegasus Project” coordinated by Forbidden Stories
2022 – The documentary “Central African Republic under Russian influence“ by Clement Di Roma and Carol Valade (ARTE/France24/Le Monde)
2023 – Joint investigation of the wreck with the migrant ship “Pylos” (Solomon, in collaboration with Forensis, StrgF/ARD and The Guardian)
Who is Daphne Caruana Galicia?
Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese journalist, blogger and anti-corruption activist who exposed corruption, money laundering, organized crime, the sale of citizenship and the Maltese government's ties to the so-called Panama Papers. After harassment and threats, she was killed in a car bomb explosion on 16 October 2017. Outrage over the authorities' handling of the investigation into her murder eventually led to the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. MEPs strongly criticized the shortcomings of the investigation and in December 2019 called on the European Commission to take action.