Children and Migration

Millions of children around the world are affected by migration.  This includes girls and boys who migrate within and between countries (usually with their families but sometimes on their own), as well as children ‘left behind’ when their parents or caregivers migrate in search of economic opportunities.  Be it forced or voluntary, by adults or children, migration affects children’s care situations and can entail risks to their protection.

Displaying 1 - 10 of 829

E. Delap, G. Mann, S. Sharmin, et al.,

Research across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka shows that climate change is intensifying drivers of family separation—including poverty, food insecurity, child migration, early marriage, and trafficking—while placing children with disabilities at heightened risk. The study calls for family strengthening to be a central pillar of climate adaptation strategies, emphasizing resilience-building, child and community engagement, and advocacy for both emission reductions and reparations for affected communities.

Metin Gani Tapan, Ayşe Nur Katmer, Aykut Can Demirel,

Among Syrian migrants who have settled in Türkiye through mass migration, informal kinship care remains insufficiently clear due to gaps in registration and regulatory frameworks stemming from religious and cultural factors. This study expands the literature on informal kinship care among migrant families.

UNICEF,

This assessment examined how the child protection system supports children and families in vulnerable situations, with a particular focus on supporting the significant number of refugee children from Ukraine who have come to the Czech Republic since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.

Ashira Menashe-Oren,

Understanding the circumstances in which children migrate is important to ensure their well-being. Yet, child migration in sub-Saharan Africa is not easy to measure.

Frederikke Jarlby, Milfrid Tonheim, andMarte Knag Fylkesnes,

This Norwegian study examines how unaccompanied refugee minors in foster care (re)create a sense of home over time, identifying security, familiarity, and autonomy as key intertwined aspects. It underscores the dynamic role of past experiences, present circumstances, and future aspirations, emphasizing the need for foster parents and child welfare workers to support cultural, relational, and personal continuity.

Emily Ruehs-Navarro (Ed), Lina Caswell Muñoz (Ed), Sarah Diaz (Ed),

This interdisciplinary work brings together voices from the legal realm, the academic world, and the on-the-ground experiences of activists and practitioners. At the heart of these narratives lies a crucial debate: the tension between harm-reduction strategies and abolition.

Mara Tissera Luna,

This Collaborative Insights report gathers perspectives on strengthening ECD efforts from Guatemalan grassroots practitioners, national social movements, community-based organizations, international non-governmental organizations, donors, and the Guatemalan government.

K Antia, J Račaitė, G Šurkienė, V Winkler,

Global migration is on the rise, and as a result, millions of children are left in their home countries while their parents migrate abroad. Little is known about the mental health of left-behind children (LBC) in Eastern Europe. The study addresses this research gap in Georgia, a leading migrant-sending country in the region.

Clara Sanz-Escutia, Laura Arnau-Sabatés, Josefina Sala-Roca ,

This article analyzes the experience of unaccompanied young migrants in the protection system of Catalonia (Spain) and their preparation for the transition to independent living. A survey with 90 unaccompanied migrant youths who were about to leave care was conducted.

This research analyzed key policies that affect unaccompanied children, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)'s foster care system in the United States, and the placement process and well-being outcomes.