A child is a child: Protecting children on the move from violence, abuse and exploitation (UNICEF)

This report shows how the lack of safe and legal pathways for refugee and migrant children feeds a booming market for human smuggling and puts them at risk of violence, abuse and exploitation.

Millions of children are on the move across international borders – fleeing violence and conflict, disaster or poverty, in pursuit of a better life. Hundreds of thousands move on their own.
 

When they encounter few opportunities to move legally, children resort to dangerous routes and engage smugglers to help them cross borders. Serious gaps in the laws, policies and services meant to protect children on the move further leave them bereft of protection and care. Deprived, unprotected, and often alone, children on the move can become easy prey for traffickers and others who abuse and exploit them.
 

Building on recent UNICEF policy proposals, the report sets out ways that governments can better protect these vulnerable children.
 

The executive summary of this report can be found above. The full report can be found on the UNICEF website.

Publication Date:
Mon 01 May 2017
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