diff --git a/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/removal.ts b/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/removal.ts
index 3f74394ac6ef..21542724b9d8 100644
--- a/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/removal.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-traverse/src/path/removal.ts
@@ -30,8 +30,10 @@ export function _removeFromScope(this: NodePath) {
 }
 
 export function _callRemovalHooks(this: NodePath) {
-  for (const fn of hooks) {
-    if (fn(this, this.parentPath)) return true;
+  if (this.parentPath) {
+    for (const fn of hooks) {
+      if (fn(this, this.parentPath)) return true;
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/babel-traverse/test/removal.js b/packages/babel-traverse/test/removal.js
index bf5adf398b56..eff722ae6ce0 100644
--- a/packages/babel-traverse/test/removal.js
+++ b/packages/babel-traverse/test/removal.js
@@ -152,4 +152,17 @@ describe("removal", function () {
 
     expect(rootPath.scope.hasBinding("x")).toBe(true);
   });
+
+  it("should not throw when removing without `Program`", function () {
+    const ast = parse("['1']").program.body[0].expression;
+
+    traverse(ast, {
+      noScope: true,
+      StringLiteral(path) {
+        path.remove();
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(ast.elements.length).toBe(0);
+  });
 });