Migrant children represent a significant percentage of the migrant population worldwide. According to UNICEF data, 1 in 8 migrants is a minor (2016). Likewise, in 2015 it was estimated that 1 out of every 70 girls and boys lived outside their country of birth, for a total of 31 million girls and boys living abroad. Of this sum, some 10 million correspond to migrant children and 17 million to children displaced by internal conflicts and violence (UNICEF, 2017).

Migrant children in irregular conditions face particular risks that make them especially vulnerable to becoming victims of violence and exploitation. The absence of official documents, the use of unauthorized border crossings, the separation of their relatives and guardians make them more susceptible to violence, robberies, or to become victims of trafficking.

However, it is necessary to remember that the reasons and conditions of migration of a child are irrelevant to guarantee their access to rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the most ratified human rights treaty in the world after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights defines the "child" as any person under the age of 18 and guarantees special protection without distinction, with the purpose of guaranteeing their well-being and their integral development. Therefore, we must remember that migrant children are, above all, children and, as such, are subject to this special protection.

The CRC establishes 4 guiding principles that must be respected to ensure the protection of children, including the care of migrant children.

  1. Non-discrimination: all the rights of all children must be protected and respected, without any distinction such as their immigration status or if this migration occurs regularly or irregularly.
  2. Best interest: the authorities must consider and make decisions that guarantee the greatest benefit for children and avoid those actions that could have a negative impact on their development.
  3. The right to life, survival and development: governments and society must seek the growth and well-being of old children through specialized actions and measures.
  4. Principle of participation: the opinion of children and adolescents must be consulted and listened to in the deliberation of issues and decisions that affect their lives.

The application of these principles in migration contexts implies that governments, civil society and other relevant actors work together to protect migrant children from dangers, violence, abuse and damage to their integrity. This basic protection must be offered in all cases, considering the particular needs of each child based on their age, stage of development and ethnic and cultural origin.

In our next blog entry we will discuss some ways in which the institutions responsible for migration and children in transit and destination countries can strengthen the attention of girls, boys and adolescents. If you are interested in obtaining more tools for the effective protection of minors in migration contexts, IOM and the Inter-American Children's Institute have developed the "Specialized Course on Migrant Children in the Americas" with free access through the Learning Platform on Migration.

 

For more information please contact:

Alexandra Bonnie, Regional Program of the IOM Mesoamerica, Email: abonnie@iom.int

Esteban de la Torre Ribadeneira, Inter-American Institute of Children, Girls and Adolescents, Email: edelatorre@iinoea.or