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A Child is a Child: Protecting children on the move from violence, abuse and
exploitation
Q&A
A Child is a Child: Protecting children on the move from violence, abuse and exploitation
focuses on the risks refugee and migrant children face during their journeys. The report
brings together evidence from some of the major global migration routes to show how
the current lack of safe and legal pathways pushes children underground, leading an
increasing number to engage migrant smugglers and take highly dangerous routes. This
puts children at high risk of violence, abuse and exploitation, including at the hands of
traffickers underscoring the urgent need for a global protection system to keep
children safe as they move.
Around the world, nearly 50 million children are living outside of their country of birth or
are displaced within their own country (as of 2015). Aside from the millions of children
who left their country voluntary as part of regular or irregular migration often together
with their families this staggering figure also includes at least 28 million children who
were driven from their homes by conflict or violence. These 28 million displaced children
include:
11 million child refugees living outside their country of origin (including children
under UNHCRs mandate and Palestinian refugee children registered with UNRWA)
17 million children internally displaced due to violence and conflict (IDPs)
Of the 50 million children uprooted around the world in 2015, at least 28 million were
driven from their homes by conflicts.
The crises in Syria and Afghanistan have significantly contributed to the large number of
children on the move. Children from these two countries alone account for nearly half of
all child refugees under UNHCRs mandate in 2015 (3.7 million out of 8.2 million). They
also account for more than half of all children who applied for asylum in 32 European
countries (EU + EFTA) in both 2015 (52 per cent) and 2016 (54 per cent).
The number of children applying for asylum in Europe has been increasing steadily since
at least 2008, but both 2015 and 2016 saw extremely high numbers (390,000 and
400,000, respectively, each four times higher than the yearly average of the previous
five years).
Other children, whether moving alone or with their families, have a variety of
motivations for leaving their homes and communities. Many seek to reunite with family
members already abroad. Others pursue their families aspirations for this generation to
have a better life. The fact is that for the large majority of children, migration has a
positive impact and the benefits of migration filter through social networks. Other
factors include family breakdown, domestic violence, child marriage and forced
conscription.
There are more refugee and migrant children moving alone (unaccompanied or
separated children, UASC) than at any time in recent memory. In the five year period
from 2010-2011 to 2015-2016, the number of unaccompanied and separated children
around the world increased nearly five-fold, from 66,000 to at least 300,000. This
includes:
The actual number of children moving on their own is likely to be much higher, as many
of them are never identified or registered by government services in either transit or
destination countries; many remain separated from their families.
5. What are the risks facing refugee and migrant children on the move?
Children often find few opportunities to move legally. Family reunification, humanitarian
visas and refugee resettlement spots, and work or study visas are out of reach for most.
But barriers to legal migration do not stop people from moving, they only push them
underground.
As a result, many refugee and migrant children turn to smugglers to help them navigate
border crossings and reach their final destinations. Reliance on smugglers puts children
at great risk of exploitation and abuse, as smugglers often try to exploit the vulnerability
of refugees and migrants for their own personal gain.
Smuggling can turn into human trafficking. Europol estimates that as many as 20 per
cent of smugglers facilitating travel to Europe in 2015 had links to human trafficking
networks. Children account for approximately 28 per cent of trafficking victims globally.
Smugglers may take advantage of unaccompanied and separated children in particular,
selling them into slavery or forced prostitution.
When and if children finally reach their destinations, the threats do not disappear.
Refugee and migrant children are often left in conditions that would be deemed
unacceptable for native-born children. They disproportionately face poverty and
exclusion at a time when they are in desperate need of services and protection.
Migrant smugglers procure the illegal entry of a person into the territory of a
State of which the latter is not a national or permanent resident. In exchange, the
smuggler obtains a financial or other material benefit, directly or indirectly.
The links between smuggling and trafficking put children on the move at risk of
abuse and exploitation. The transaction with a smuggler is especially risky when children
and families incur debts to pay smugglers fees. Europol estimates that 20 per cent of
suspected smugglers on their radar have ties to human trafficking they help children
cross borders, only to sell them into exploitation, sometimes akin to contemporary forms
of slavery.
Traffickers and other exploiters thrive especially where state institutions are weak, where
organized crime abounds, and also where migrants become stuck and desperate.
7. What does UNICEF mean by lack of / need for more safe and regular
migration pathways?
Migration is not inherently dangerous for children its the lack of legal opportunities
that makes it risky. As things stand, children find few opportunities to move legally.
Family reunification is often tied to certain residency and income requirements and
limited to the nuclear family, excluding extended family members whom children often
depend on for care. In addition, the process of family reunification is often extremely
slow and cumbersome, leaving many children who are stuck in limbo and completely on
their own to take matters into their own hands, using dangerous channels. Humanitarian
visas and refugee resettlement spots are oversubscribed, and work or study visas are
out of reach for most, as they require considerable financial resources and certified skills
and qualifications.
If children intending to claim asylum could get on an airplane rather than paying
a smuggler, the risks would be vastly reduced for them and the process would be
more orderly for States.
If refugee children deprived of access to schooling could access education abroad,
through more offers of scholarships and student visas, child labour and irregular
movements could be reduced.
If family reunification were more available to children on their own, and if
processes were speeded up, fewer children would make risky attempts to join
their families on their own.
If more countries offered humanitarian resettlement spots, more refugees could
move in a safe and orderly manner.
If more countries allowed private citizens and communities to sponsor refugee
children and families for resettlement, this could not only increase the number of
spots available, but also improve refugees chances integrating into local
communities.
There are examples that show how all this can be done:
8. What are UNICEFs main concerns for these children and what can be done
to protect refugee and migrant children?
Major operational and political constraints for UNICEFs humanitarian action include:
tighter migration and asylum policies, continued reports of abuse and violence in
accommodation centres, children in de-facto detention for immigration control purposes,
and childrens use of dangerous irregular routes, whether they travel alone or with
family.
UNICEF calls on world leaders to act on the commitments they made when they adopted
the New York Declaration last year and thereby acknowledged the urgent and unmet
needs of vulnerable child migrants who do not qualify for international protection as
refugees and may need assistance.
Ahead of the G7 Summit in Italy, UNICEF is calling on all governments to adopt its six-
point agenda for action to protect refugee and migrant children and ensure their well-
being.
Yes, returning children to their countries of origin may well be consistent with their rights
if return is found to be in an individual childs best interests. For that to be the case:
1) The return decision must not put the child in harm's way. Where conditions in the
country of origin threaten to harm children, the latter may be eligible for protection
under the 1951 Refugee Convention, which bars States from returning refugee children.
The process of deciding whether a child requires protection as a refugee needs to take
into account particular forms of persecution experienced by children including
recruitment into armed forces or groups, child marriage, and female genital mutilation.
Childrens cases should therefore be examined in their own right, not only as part of a
family unit.
2) The return decision must be sustainable. That means it must take into account the
best interests of the child as they are likely to evolve beyond age 18 for example with
regard to access to education and training. The States involved should trace a child's
family in advance, provide reintegration assistance, and monitor the child's situation
after return.
While it is not within UNICEFs mandate to determine the safety of a country, we believe
that the best interests of each individual child should be absolutely central in any
decision over returns, relocation, resettlement or reunification. Any best interests
determination should factor in the situation in the origin and destination country and
balance this against the other considerations in the individual childs case (see Q9 for
more details on best interests assessment and determination). At the same time,
UNICEF continues to address the drivers of forced migration.
They vary from child to child, depending on the individual childs circumstances and
needs.
The best interests of a child broadly describe the circumstances conducive to the childs
well-being. These will vary depending on factors like the childs age or the presence or
absence of parents. According to the CRC, the childs best interests should be a primary
consideration in all actions taken affecting the child.
The thinking around determining of the best interests of the child has evolved in recent
years. Whereas it was once common to accept that family reunification or return to the
country of origin was the preferred solution, this is no longer always the case. Instead, a
more holistic and individualized approach is now expected. In order to qualify as a
durable solution, a decision must be sustainable, must provide a safe and protective
environment in compliance with the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the
Child (CRC), and must enable the child to fulfil his or her needs and rights and to
develop into adulthood.
12. Should all UASC be reunited with their families in countries of destination?
Not neccessarily. While exploring the potential for family reunification should always be
part of assessing the best interests of a UASC and of finding a durable solution, in each
case, the best option depends on the individual childs circumstances.
Family reunification can happen in the country of origin, the country of destination, or a
third country. Which of these options is preferable needs to be assessed for each
individual child. Where children have been granted refugee status because they would
face harm in their country of origin, reunification at destination or in a safe third country
are the only viable options.
In some cases, family reunification may not be in the childs best interests where
children have suffered abuse or neglect at the hands of family members, or where
tracing family connections may endanger the child or family members.
13. Do you have any data about how much States (and UNICEF) invest in child
protection systems & cross-border cooperation? How does that compare to
the profits of the global smuggling and trafficking industry?
But these numbers remain uncertain. What we can say is that smuggling and trafficking
worldwide is a billion dollar industry that feeds off the vulnerabilities of children and
adults alike.
14. Whats UNICEF doing in countries with very low capacity / fragile contexts
such as Libya where smuggling and trafficking flourishes?
UNICEF is currently working with 19 partners in Libya to address the protection and
humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable children in the country, including migrant
children. Despite the persistent access and security challenges, approximately 42,000
children were reached with structured, sustained psychosocial support services
throughout 2016. Recreational activities for 277 unaccompanied and separated children
are being provided at the Gharyan Al-Hamra detention centre.
In Benghazi and Sabha, UNICEF national partners are supporting migrant boys and girls
to attend catch-up and remedial classes in safe learning environments. The classes,
which are conducted in Arabic, also include Mine Risk Education. Approximately 11,000
affected school-aged children have benefited from such UNICEF-supported programmes.
UNICEF continues its advocacy efforts towards upholding the rights of migrant women
and children in Libya, including those municipalities with which UNICEF signed
memoranda of cooperation under the Together for Children campaign launched in
April 2015. In addition, municipal councils have been consistently encouraged through
advocacy from UNICEF to respect the rights of refugees and migrants, and to promote
the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and especially the principle
of non-discrimination.
15. How do you respond to reports that in some cases, parents send their
children to destination countries believing they will be granted special
protections and be allowed to stay (anchor children)?
We know that information about routes and destinations travels through social networks
to reach people in countries of origin and that includes information, true or not, on
potential protections that certain countries might offer refugee or migrant children
arriving without their families.
But even if in some cases children and their families might have such expectations, this
cannot become a reason to lower protection standards. Childrens rights must be
respected and upheld regardless of their motives or their parents role in the decision to
migrate. Curbing the rights of one child in order to deter another is not legitimate.
States should intensify their efforts to provide accurate information in countries of origin
on existing channels and procedures for obtaining legal entry; raise awareness of the
dangers facing children moving alone; and also ensure that decisions to return children
are always guided by the child best interest, are based on information that takes into
account the situation of children in the country of origin, and ensure that children,
families and communities receive the reintegration assistance needed so that children
can develop safely into adulthood.
Global governance of human mobility is one of the key challenges of our time, so it is not
surprising at all that the issue has been included in the priorities of the Italian G7
Presidency and those of the German G20 Presidency this year. The G7 Summit is taking
place on May 26th and 27th Taormina, Sicily a location that symbolises like no other the
human suffering that has unfortunately become one of the defining traits of
contemporary migration and refugee flows.
G7 countries are among the main destination countries for refugees and migrants trying
to reach the global North, and they also represent a substantial share of ODA aimed at
addressing the root causes of large movements of refugees and migrants.
UNICEF is therefore asking G7 countries to take leadership and show all other
governments that the protection of refugee and migrant children is a shared
responsibility. It takes a global village to protect children on the move.
When world leaders adopted the New York Declaration last year, they acknowledged the
urgent and unmet needs of vulnerable child migrants who do not qualify for international
protection as refugees and may need assistance. Now it is time to act.
UNICEF is calling everyone to stand with refugee and migrant children and help protect
every child uprooted by war, violence and poverty. Since September of 2016 when the
New York Declaration was adopted, UNICEF has been working tirelessly to forge a
coalition of governments, civil society actors, UN entities, influencers and committed
individuals around what we call our Six-Point Agenda for Action for Children Uprooted:
1. Protect child refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied children,
from exploitation and violence.
2. End the detention of children seeking refugee status or migrating.
3. Keep families together as the best way to protect children and give children
legal status.
4. Keep all refugee and migrant children learning and give them access to health
and other quality services.
5. Press for action on the underlying causes of large-scale movements of
refugees and migrants.
6. Promote measures to combat xenophobia, discrimination and marginalization
in countries of transit and destination.
Despite UNICEFs and partners efforts, there is a real risk that migration is not even on
the agenda of G7 leaders who are meeting in Sicily in two weeks. Refugee and migrant
children cannot wait and should not suffer the consequences of lack of consensus among
G7 governments. This is all the more pressing because G7 countries are among the main
destination countries for refugees and migrants trying to reach the global North, and
they also represent a substantial share of ODA aimed at addressing the root causes of
large movements of refugees and migrants.
19. How many children have died trying to reach Sicily / Italy this year and
last? Whats UNICEF reaction to this tragedy? Whats UNICEF doing to stop
it?
Out of more than 355,361 people who crossed the Mediterranean in 2016, some 5,100
lost their lives at sea (according to IOM). A total of 4,579 fatalities occurred on the
Central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy, which makes it the deadliest
route.
The number of children who died on the Central Mediterranean route is not known, but it
is feared to be at least 700, their bodies lost at sea. (This number was estimated by
assuming that the share of children among the recorded fatalities is the same as the
share of children among people arriving in Italy.) It amounts to an average of two child
drownings every single day.
Between January and May 2017, over a thousand more people lost their lives in the
Central Mediterranean (1,229 as of 14 May). The actual number of child fatalities in 2017
remains unknown, but is estimated to be around 200. The high fatality rates are largely
due to a lack of safe and legal migration routes.
UNICEF works to address the root causes of unsafe migration and forced displacement in
countries around the world by strengthening child protection systems, providing access
to nutrition and basic services, such as water and sanitation, health and education, and
social protection. It supports countries in their efforts to adapt to climate change and
mitigate disaster risks and gives children and youth a voice in decisions that affect their
lives and their future.
In countries hosting large numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, UNICEF
focuses on protecting children uprooted from violence, abuse and exploitation, offering
them psycho-social support, and working to keep them in school or alternative
education. It also improves the situation of children and families by providing access to
safe drinking water and cash transfers to meet basic needs.
20. What does UNICEF think of allegations that some NGOs with rescue
missions in the Mediterranean have links to smugglers in Libya?
It must be noted that the Central Mediterranean route is one of the worlds deadliest.
4,579 deaths including an estimated 700 child deaths were recorded alongside
180,000 arrivals in 2016. That means 1 in 40 people who attempted to make the
crossing died in the process. Against this backdrop, UNICEF lauds the work of all those
who have saved and are saving lives in the Mediterranean. Yet it is also clear that rescue
missions cannot replace longer term political solutions to the challenges of migration and
displacement.
21. You say children should not be detained, but what options do States have to
keep children safe from criminal networks and prevent them from
disappearing?
Rarely are children detained to protect them from imminent danger. Often it is a matter
of administrative convenience or lack of adequate facilities. Usually children are detained
upon arrival, for registration and identification purposes, or prior to being deported; they
often remain in detention for extended periods of time. In neither case is detention the
right place for children, whether they are alone or with family members.
The negative impacts of detention on children have been well documented. Detention
can reinforce previously experienced traumas; often separates families; exposes children
to violent and humiliating behaviour; and undermines their mental and physical health
and development. Fear of detention is also one of the reasons why young migrants avoid
contact with authorities.
Where countries have adopted such alternatives to detention, not only has compliance
been high (99 percent in Australia and US stayed where they were supposed to), but
costs to taxpayers have also been lower than for regular detention.
21.Why an upsurge in unaccompanied child migration?
There is no simple answer to this question there are a number of intertwined reasons.
First, new and protracted conflicts and violence have resulted in increasing
numbers of people displaced worldwide;
Second, the desire to improve livelihoods and pursue educational aspirations
continues to inspire people of all ages to migrate;
Third, the desire to reunite with family abroad, which appears to motivate more
children migrate alone, is a key driver of child migration;
Fourth, information about migration travels through migrants social networks,
and gives rise to socio-cultural pressures that may inspire more children to
migrate alone;
Fifth, more UASC are being counted, as registration mechanisms along migration
routes have improved (in the past, more UASC remained hidden from
authorities).
Globally, the available data speaks to an overall increase in UASCs in recent years, but
the number has fluctuated.
In the United States, the number of UASCs apprehended each month has decreased
since last October. For the period February to April 2017 it was lower than in any other
year since 2012 (comparing the same months). This was very likely a reaction to the
new government in the US.
However, this recent decrease comes after three consecutive years in which
apprehensions of UASCs at the US South-West border were high: 60,000 in fiscal year
2016 (October 2015-September 2016); 40,000 in fiscal year 2015; and a record 69,000
in fiscal year 2014. Those numbers were considerably higher than in any year between
2009 and 2013 (earlier years were not available).
Europe (32 countries: EU + EFTA) has seen a constant rise in the number of UASCs
applying for asylum: from 11,000 in 2010 to a record 104,000 in 2015. Since then, the
number has declined to 66,000 in 2016. This is, however, still more than two and half
times higher than in 2014 (25,000) and five times higher than in 2010.
The most recent decline in UASCs applying for asylum is thus no reason to sit back:
Rather than regarding this decrease from 2015 to 2016 as part of a trend, the year 2015
should be seen as an exception. The reasons for the peak in UASCs applying for asylum
that year are not fully understood, but are likely related to the peak in the overall
numbers of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants arriving in Europe in 2015. Over 1
million migrants arrived in Europe that year, up from 220,000 in 2014. The share of
UASCs among child migrants and refugees also peaked in 2015 (27 per cent) compared
to the surrounding years (15 per cent in 2014 and 16 per cent in 2016).
23.On what data do you base your findings on child trafficking on the Central
Mediterranean route?
IOM surveyed a sample of migrants arriving in Italy, asking them 5 questions to gauge
whether they may have experienced trafficking or other exploitative practices. This
Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Flow Monitoring Survey asked them about:
1. Having worked without getting the expected payment
2. Having been forced to perform work or other activities against their will
4. Having been kept against their will (by people other than official authorities)
Its important to note that these questions are not intended to confirm actual trafficking
experiences (which cannot be done based on a short questionnaire) but they give an
indication of potential trafficking or other forms of exploitation.
Also, note that the question on the offering of employment is not an indicator for
exploitation per se, but is included in the questionnaire as a proxy indicator for
potentially exploitative practices, as [it] shows how frequently people are trying to
procure labour or services from extremely vulnerable individuals in transit (from an
2016 IOM published analysis of this survey). A UNICEF re-analysis of the survey
database showed that excluding the offer of employment question reduced the share of
those who answered yes to at least one question by just one percentage point from
75% to 74% (in the context of the Central Mediterranean Route).
The numbers presented in A Child is a Child based on this survey usually refer to the
share of interviewed migrants who answered yes to at least one of those five
questions.
24.What are the effects of heightened border control in Europe and the US for
neighbouring transit countries such as Mexico and Turkey?
It is unlikely that the strict border regimes in Europe and the US will result in fewer
people attempting to reach these countries. Rather, they are likely to create ripple effects
whereby neighbouring States also introduce stricter border controls. The result is that
people are prevented from leaving countries where they face harm, and movements are
being diverted onto what are often more dangerous routes.
Border enforcement measures taken by the United States in 2014 have gone hand in
hand with an increase in the number of UASCs apprehended by Mexican immigration
authorities: from 23,096 Central American UASC apprehended in 2014, to 38,514 in
2015 and 40,542 in 2016. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of UASCs have still reached the
US.
Similarly, the EU has long been relying on neighbouring states to keep migrants and
refugees from reaching its territory, with only partial success. Strict border regimes are
likely to create bottlenecks, as seen by the steady rise in the number of refugees in
Turkey which now houses 2.8 million, more than any other country in the world.
When refugees and migrants are stuck in limbo and without prospects in transit
countries, they are likely to seek to continue their journeys by irregular means as
evidenced by the many refugees who travel for months or years to reach Europe.