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.

Children on the move: Like adults, children often migrate in an attempt to build a better life – to escape poverty, discrimination or conflict, and to find education, employment and other opportunities. Others relocate due to an unstable or difficult family environment, such as the loss of a parent, or neglect or abuse from a caregiver. Children may migrate with or without their families, and their movements may be temporary, seasonal or permanent.

While migration can open up new opportunities for children, it can also expose them to harmful care situations, chronic poverty, violence and exploitation. During transit and at their destination, migrant children may end up in unsafe institutions, detention centres, on the streets or in overcrowded, poor-quality accommodation. Others who migrate to join households (e.g. for fostering, education, domestic work or apprenticeships) may be subjected to exploitation. Many migrant children, particularly those without documentation, end up without access to education, protection or basic services, while discrimination and language barriers make it difficult for them to reintegrate into new communities.

Children left behind. An increasing number of children around the world are also adversely affected when migrating parents leave home to seek out employment or economic opportunities (often in urban centres). While children may gain materially from remittances sent home, the absence of a parent may be detrimental to their social and psychological development. In particular, the nature and quality of children’s care relationships may suffer as they adjust to life without a loved caregiver and try to replace a physically and emotionally nurturing relationship with someone new.

Studies from around the world indicate that children left behind by migrating caretakers face education, health and psychosocial problems, including deteriorating academic performance and lower school attendance, greater risk of drug abuse, early pregnancy, involvement in criminal activities and social dysfunction. Left behind children may suffer from low self-esteem and feelings of abandonment, and in the worst cases may be vulnerable to violence, abuse and trafficking. While new or remaining caretakers can offer children a protective and caring environment they may also struggle to care for them without support, and breakdown of these relationships can sometimes result in children’s placement in harmful institutional care.

The documents in this section focus on the impact of migration on children’s care situations, and outline policy, advocacy and programmatic measures to enhance child migrants’ protection.

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A guide - children & the Global Compacts on refugees & migration: Understanding what’s in the Compacts and how to engage with them

Destination Unknown, 2021

This guide analyses the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) through a child rights lens and outlines the measures foreseen in these documents (the Global Compacts) for the protection of the rights of the child.

Gender and Migration Data: A guide for evidence-based, gender-responsive migration governance

International Organization for Migration (IOM), 2021

This guidance note aims to address the migration data gaps in a manner relevant to all stakeholders, and promotes a whole-of-society approach. It is also meant to help operationalize IOM’s Migration Data Strategy and includes recommendations on enhancing gender indicators and gender-based methods in data production, protection, dissemination and use. The note provides succinct information on the extent to which gender is captured through macrolevel global data sets, along with a discussion of key issues relevant to gender and migration data.

Adult psychological outcomes of former left behind children in Romania

Laura Tripa, Florin Alin Sava, Ramona Paloş, Silvia Măgurean & Irina Macsinga - Romanian Journal of Applied Psychology, 31 Dec 2020

The purpose of this empirical study is to investigate the perceived difficulties and outcomes of young adults with a left behind background.

In Côte d’Ivoire, protecting children and young people on the move during COVID-19

UNICEF, 17 Dec 2020

This brief article from UNICEF describes UNICEF's work with partners in Côte d’Ivoire to assist children on the move during the COVID-19 pandemic, "providing them with psychosocial support through counselling and drama therapy, as well as access to education, shelter, meals, clean water and sanitation facilities. UNICEF also works with partners to help reunite children on the move with their families."

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Internal and international parental migration and the living conditions of children in Ghana

Victor Cebotari and Bilisuma B. Dito - Children and Youth Services Review, 16 Dec 2020

Using survey data collected in 2010 from Ghanaian school children, this study investigates variations in children’s durable goods and private utilities when parents migrate internally or internationally compared to a control group of children who live with their parents.

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Children on the move, including from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and people affected by COVID19

UNICEF, 15 Dec 2020

This edition of Humanitarian Action for Children – UNICEF’s annual humanitarian fundraising appeal – describes the ongoing crises affecting children on the move, including from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and people affected by COVID-19; the strategies that UNICEF is using to respond to these situations; and the donor support that is essential in this response.

Children on the move and COVID-19 in Mexico and Central America

UNICEF, 15 Dec 2020

This edition of Humanitarian Action for Children – UNICEF’s annual humanitarian fundraising appeal – describes the ongoing crises affecting children on the move and COVID-19 in Mexico and Central America (including unaccompanied and separated children); the strategies that UNICEF is using to respond to these situations; and the donor support that is essential in this response.

A Lifeline at Risk: COVID-19, Remittances and Children

Saskia Blume and Nour Moussa - World Bank Blogs, 10 Dec 2020

In this World Bank Blog Post, Saskia Blume and Nour Moussa of UNICEF's Children on the Move Team describe how "millions of ‘children left behind’ are taking the brunt of this fallout as their family members who moved internally or abroad in hopes of sustaining them, cut down on remittances" as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Early maternal separation and development of left-behind children under 3 years of age in rural China

Mengshi Li, et al - Children and Youth Services Review, 09 Dec 2020

A cross-sectional study was conducted in five counties of five provinces in China to investigate the effects of age at separation and duration of maternal separation on the early development of left-behind children.

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‘Discuss it with your legal guardian’: Challenges in practising care for young unaccompanied refugee minors

Guro Brokke Omland, Agnes Andenas, Nora Sveaass - Child & Family Social Work, 26 Nov 2020

Informed by developmental perspectives that consider young people's development through participation across contexts in everyday life and by research into how parents in ‘ordinary’ families organize care, the authors of this article developed a study based on interviews with 15 unaccompanied refugee minors and their professional caregivers at residential care institutions.

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