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Editor Maria Delaney and investigative journalist Patricia Devlin from The Journal Investigates

The Journal Investigates wins European Parliament Prize for work on missing child migrants

The team was part of a cross-border project led by Lost in Europe and recognised for revealing over 50,000 unaccompanied child migrants are missing in Europe.

A GROUNDBREAKING INVESTIGATION which revealed the true scale of unaccompanied child migrants who have disappeared in Europe has won the 2024 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism.

The investigation was led by Lost in Europe, in collaboration with media outlets across eight European countries. Lost in Europe is a not-for-profit journalism platform which investigates and uncovers the stories of child migrants ‘lost’ after arriving in Europe. 

The Journal Investigates team of reporter Patricia Devlin and editor Maria Delaney were the only Irish partners on this project and were awarded the prestigious prize with the rest of the cross-border team this evening. 

The Prize rewards outstanding journalism that promotes or defends the core principles and values of the EU such as freedom, equality and human rights. 

It is named in honour of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia who was assassinated with a car bomb in 2017. In addition to her involvement in the Panama Papers, her work exposed organised crime as well as corrupt politicians and police.

The award-winning investigation, published in April, found at least 51,433 unaccompanied child migrants disappeared after arriving in European countries between 2021 and 2023. It uncovered the staggering reality that, on average, nearly 47 children have vanished each day after arriving in Europe since 2021.

The months-long investigation shows that the actual figure of missing migrant children could be even higher, as inconsistent documentation and the lack of data collection by some countries contribute to significant gaps in reporting.

In addition, our team reported that Ireland has experienced a 500% increase in the number of children arriving alone to claim asylum. We also showed that 29 child migrants have disappeared in Ireland without a trace from State care between January 2021 and April 2024 – including at least one 13 year-old. 

These revelations came just months after Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said that the Garda operation focusing on missing children is being reviewed, following an investigation by The Journal Investigates last December.  

Your support makes a difference

Editor of The Journal Investigates Maria Delaney said it was down to support from readers that their team was given the time and space to work as part of this award-winning consortium. 

The Journal Investigates is one of the few places in Ireland whose media outlet is willing to invest in this type of in-depth investigative journalism as it takes significant time and resources. 

“We are grateful to have been able to work alongside journalists across Europe, in particular the Lost in Europe team, and help uncover these important findings.

“This would not be possible without support from our readers’ fund so thank you to everyone who contributes and makes this work possible.”

Prize-winning team

Over 20 journalists from across Europe contributed to this investigation and were awarded the prize today. 

From Lost in Europe, this includes Geesje van Haren, Emma van den Hof, Ismail Einashe, Cecilia Ferrara, Angela Gennaro, Adriana Homolova, Sanne Terlingen, Jan Wiese, Kristof Clerix, Doruntina Islamaj, Roeland Termote, Elli Zotou, Qali Nur, Huub Jaspers, Kate Stanworth and Rosa Meneses.

Other contributors were Patricia Devlin and Maria Delaney from The Journal Investigates as well as Tina Friedrich, Carlotta Dotto, Wubby Luyendijk, Winny de Jong and Emma Wallis.

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58 Comments
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    Mute Denis Slattery
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:04 PM

    The Journal gets large grants and subsidies from the EU and it’s subsidiaries. So it’s journalists get prizes from the institute that pays their wages.
    No need for a “debunking Fact Check” on this

    222
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:07 PM

    @Denis Slattery: Yes: no need for debunking of something that you simply made up.

    48
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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:07 PM

    @Denis Slattery: whoa there, a deep & groundbreaking investigation into missing child migrants & this ridiculous petty ‘what aboutery’ is your input????

    50
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    Mute Eric Gaffney
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:41 PM

    @Denis Slattery: Now you know two wallys that work for the journal

    32
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 8:45 PM

    @Pewpew Tin: You’re one sad little virgin. You are lucky your oul one lets you squat in her box room.

    16
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 8:59 PM

    @Pewpew Tin: necro creep, Saville would be proud of you. Your parents aren’t

    15
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 9:11 PM

    @Pewpew Tin: Had dinner with my family, listen that empty hole in your life can’t be filled with food. Sad lonely little virgin strung out for attention he never got :)

    10
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 9:21 PM

    @Pewpew Tin: oooh sick burn virgin haha

    8
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 9:44 PM

    @Pewpew Tin: Im actually chuffed, I haven’t been spanked by a virgin in years

    7
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    Mute Nick Vasilakis
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    Oct 24th 2024, 9:23 AM

    @Denis Slattery: And the source for your allegation ‘large grants’ is…?

    2
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    Mute Thomas Sheridan
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:21 PM

    Would some of these actually be adults that came in whilst posing as children

    111
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    Mute Kevin Kerr
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:31 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: maybe, some, but that’s the usual daily mail type reaction that misses the broader point

    23
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 8:48 PM

    @Thomas Sheridan: Saw a post about a 16 year old missing migrant last week with advanced male pattern baldness. Are these lads actually around minors? Is there anyone with working eyeballs in Tusla?

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    Mute david mcentee
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 9:39 PM

    They don’t care, they literally do not care, more migration bigger GDP, bigger population bigger GDP, less wealth to spread around, we all get poorer as the economy gets slightly bigger through consumption.

    36
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    Mute david mcentee
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:41 PM

    How many Irish children go missing every year? How many awards? Oh, right, I forgot, nobody cares!

    102
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    Mute Kevin Kerr
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:14 PM

    Well done and congratulations to The Journal Investigates. Hopefully their colleagues, The Journal moderators, can do equally excellent work to clear up the multi account spammers who infect this comment section on a constant, daily basis

    57
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    Mute Kevvy kerrr
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:20 PM

    @Kevin Kerr: here here!!!! Funny thing is I don’t actually mind your stalking but I do get that some would be intimidated 0 fearful of your behaviour

    34
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    Mute Kevin Kerr
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:22 PM

    @Kevvy kerrr: fck off

    28
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    Mute Kevvy kerrr
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:27 PM

    @Kevin Kerr: hi stalker, deep meaningful polite rhetoric as always!!! Right back at ya!!!! Genuine question — why you pick me????

    25
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    Mute Michale Kane
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:28 PM

    @Kevin Kerr: Yeah be deffo good to see the back of all Stephen Kearons multiple accounts like Pat_Hazzard, noel_lee etc and the likes of the honeybadger and that hoo woo thing..all the crazy trump and kamalla bots .. and the far righ bots including the Israelis, the far left bots

    28
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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 10:41 PM

    @Kevin Kerr: appreciate you’re only trolling … but keep it civil, no need to go in the gutter

    9
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    Mute GE Zall
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 10:33 PM

    Missing children immigrants is one thing but when some 39 year old illegal immigrant who has destroyed their passport on a cheap flight from say Afghanistan, Nigeria or Algeria identifies as a 14 year old, well that’s another story, just not by the Journal.

    58
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    Mute Buster Lawless
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 6:29 PM

    Excellent work journal news hounds! You guys are the best

    45
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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 6:50 PM

    @Buster Lawless: yes 100%, no stone left unturned!!!!

    22
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    Mute Buster Lawless
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:09 PM

    @J B: more like an IRA nutting squad they are that ruthless.

    5
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    Mute Jb Walshe
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 6:30 PM

    Comments open

    40
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    Mute Stephen Heffernan
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 6:54 PM

    @Jb Walshe: It would appear so. Well spotted.

    39
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    Mute Kevvy kerrr
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 6:58 PM

    @Stephen Heffernan: perhaps they should recruit ‘jb walshe’ onto the investigative team, like a poiroit crossed with morse he is

    22
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    Mute Eoin Jackson
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 8:45 PM

    @Jb Walshe: Nothing gets past you JB. I wonder will you be nominated for an award for that ground breaking piece of analysis.

    10
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    Mute david mcentee
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:52 PM

    They both folded their arms for the photo so they must be serious journalists. Congratulations on your reward, it must feel like getting a pat on the head from daddy when you used the potty for the first time, going by the pictures it wasn’t all that long ago.

    54
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    Mute Iano C
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:46 PM

    Kudos! Great to see some real journalism happening, having an impact and being acknowledged.

    19
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    Mute Kevvy kerrr
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 6:55 PM

    Surely there’s some kind of accolade -award for this outstanding ( & dangerous) investigative journalism?. Then again, I’ve no doubt Patricia & Maria are in this for back slapping, well done guys, outstanding work

    18
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    Mute Buster Lawless
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:01 PM

    @Kevvy kerrr: they deserve the Roger Cook award. He was fearless.

    9
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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:01 PM

    @Kevvy kerrr: “ARE’NT” ,, bloody predictive text

    4
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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:02 PM

    @Buster Lawless: well, nobody could possibly argue with that!!!!

    5
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    Mute FlipBip
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:11 PM

    @Frank Mc Carthy: An entire comment thread, talking to yourself. Wow.

    18
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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 7:18 PM

    @FlipBip: I’ve been looking for ages for the journal.ie to carry out an investigation AND CULL of all the looners on here, even got my v own private stalker but as yet, nothing

    7
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    Mute FlipBip
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 8:25 PM

    @Frank Mc Carthy: Cool story.

    6
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    Mute Eoin Jackson
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 8:50 PM

    @Frank Mc Carthy: once again. You should reply using the same account you posted the original on Frank / Kevvy / (I am suspecting) Buster. Now that was a massive faux pas, correcting the content of the message which was incorrectly written due to predictive text, FROM THE WRONG ACCOUNT!! Now I already knew you and Kevvy were the same person from a few days back when both accounts misspelled Kamala as Kamila in the space of a few mins of each other on separate threads. But I have a serious question to ask, would you mind answering? Have you got any form of life? How pathetic is it that you feel the need to have multiple journal accounts? You’re an embarrassing sad case tbf.

    15
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    Mute Chutes
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 10:24 PM

    @Eoin Jackson: pewpewtim is one of theirs too and possibly freedapeople too imo.

    3
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    Mute Buster Lawless
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 10:24 PM

    @Eoin Jackson: what is this all about?

    5
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    Mute Chutes
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 10:33 PM

    @Chutes: ….. and most likely Larry Betts, imo.

    1
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    Mute Kevvy kerrr
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 10:36 PM

    @Buster Lawless: methinks the multi account trolls are amalgating?????

    5
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    Mute Kevvy kerrr
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 10:38 PM

    @Chutes: what happened to ‘d paedo’ & ‘ offside again ‘….. Weren’t they under ye’re umbrella????

    7
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    Mute Eoin Jackson
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    Oct 23rd 2024, 10:42 PM

    @Kevvy kerrr: yes I’m a multi troll account Kevvy / Frank, just been dormant for nearly 12 years, you absolute twit.

    6
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    Mute Chutes
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    Oct 24th 2024, 11:32 AM

    @Kevvy kerrr: Stop projecting. Stop imitating other people’s accounts. Stop being such a child!

    1
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    Mute Tee
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    Oct 24th 2024, 6:28 AM

    The journal is not exactly a balanced view, everyone needs to be aware of this when reading their biased mediocre articles!

    19
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    Mute Jim Ryan
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    Oct 24th 2024, 6:36 AM

    My comments have been removed twice from this article . Why ?

    5
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    Mute SerotoninWars
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    Oct 24th 2024, 12:46 PM

    Congratulations to all involved. It’s not easy operating in the current environment. Respect for effort and diligence is now dismissed with nothing more than a bunch of Trumpian sound bites and clichés. If someone doesn’t like the facts, it’s the usual ‘fake news’ or MSM conspiracy. Zero engagement with the actual information and indeed reality.

    They recently had a deep dive into the social media posts that provoked the riots in England during the summer. Incredibly or perhaps unsurprisingly, two thirds were from places thousands of miles away. It would be really interesting to find out how many of the posts here are from Irish people or accounts. Is this something Journal Investigates could do?

    We all know there’s a huge volume of posts from abroad seeking to normalise extreme views and pull people further away from moderate and empathetic approaches to people and life. This drip feed is intended to make dangerous and inhumane policies appear normal and acceptable. We know from history and the current climate that this works. Maybe a breakdown of the exact numbers will help some people to realise that so many of these posts are not Irish and are simply there to pull us further away from a baseline of decency.

    Always remember that these kind of comment sections are infested with bad actors from groups with the sole aim of stirring unrest and hate to further their political aims. There’s still a lot of decency in most Irish people. Let’s not be duped into believing everyone is now a frothing, hateful Trump supporter who sees nothing wrong with Putin, and couldn’t care less about injustice and suffering elsewhere.,

    3
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