This report from the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) to End Child Immigration Detention, states that the immigration detention of children represents a serious threat to children, and a growing body of UN, regional, and domestic human rights experts have called upon States to “expeditiously and completely” end the practice. While there is growing international attention to this problem, there are still gaps. The group notes, “there remains a virtual lack of effective prevention, monitoring, and reporting on the issue by States, and there are no validated statistics on the number of migrant children in immigration detention at any one time.”
The report further states that children migrate for a number of reasons, including: fleeing violence, poverty, and search for international protection. The proportion of migrants varies by region: 27% in Africa, 20% in Asia, and 10% in North America.
The report states the immigration detention is on the rise. The systems in place to fail to help child migrant and refugees. The group finds that it is important to implement alternative solutions to detention.
