The Hidden Perils: Single Women Migrating to Europe Face Rape and Exploitation

Sat Dec 06 2025 17:55:25 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

An alarming rise in the number of single women seeking asylum in Europe highlights the considerable dangers they face, including sexual violence and exploitation during their perilous journeys.

As the number of single women attempting to migrate to Europe increases significantly, many are falling prey to sexual violence and exploitation along treacherous routes. Reports show a dramatic rise in female migrants facing heightened risks as they flee unsafe situations in countries such as Nigeria and Kosovo, seeking refuge in Europe. With inadequate support and often dismissed experiences, these women confront numerous obstacles on their journeys, underscoring the need for systemic changes in asylum processes.

Esther was sleeping on the streets of Lagos when a woman approached her with the promise of a route out of Nigeria to a job and a home in Europe.

She had dreamt of a new life, especially in the UK. Thrown out of a violent and abusive foster home, she had little to stay for. But when she left Lagos in 2016, crossing the desert to Libya, she had little idea of her traumatic journey ahead,...

Its 2024 report highlighted a 250% annual rise in the number of single adult women arriving in Italy on the Balkan route, while families grew by 52%.

Migrant routes are notoriously treacherous. Last year 3,419 migrant deaths or disappearances in Europe were recorded by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - the deadliest year on record...

Many women are aware of the risks but go anyway, packing condoms, or even getting contraceptive devices fitted in case they are raped on the way.

After four months of being exploited in Libya, Esther escaped and crossed the Mediterranean in a rubber dinghy from which she was rescued by the Italian coast guard and taken to the island of Lampedusa...

Almost a decade on from leaving Nigeria, she wonders if her current existence in Italy was worth the pain she endured to get there: I don't even know the reason why I came to this place.\u200B