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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Children on the Run: The Reception and Integration of Unaccompanied Minors in Israel and Germany

Hannes Käckmeister, Hadas Yaron Mesgena - Journal of Refugee Studies, 29 Mar 2021

This article compares the reception and integration of unaccompanied minors (UM) in the two countries with a particular focus on their access to education and employment.

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The Path to Adulthood: A Mixed-Methods Approach to the Exploration of the Experiences of Unaccompanied Minors in Portugal

Carla Moleiro, Sandra Roberto - Journal of Refugee Studies, 19 Mar 2021

The objective of the present study was to characterize unaccompanied minors in Portugal and understand the processes of transition into the age of majority, using a mixed-methods approach.

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Left‐behind children's social adjustment and relationship with parental coping with children's negative emotions during the COVID‐19 pandemic in China

Yining Wang, Wen Liu, Weiwei Wang, Shuang Lin, Danhua Lin, Hongli Wang - International Journal of Psychology, 19 Mar 2021

Using data collected from two provinces in China through an online survey, the current study aimed to investigate left‐behind children's emotional and academic adjustment during the COVID‐19 pandemic in China.

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Young, unauthorised and Black: African unaccompanied minors and becoming an adult in Italy

Sarah Walker, Yasmin Gunaratnam - Journal of Sociology, 02 Mar 2021

This article is based on ethnographic fieldwork in an Italian reception centre for male ‘unaccompanied minors’. The article examines the political ambivalence of hospitality for young African men as they transition to adulthood and how this is experienced through the intersections of age, gender and race.

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The family crisis migration stress framework: A framework to understand the mental health effects of crisis migration on children and families caused by disasters

Saskia R. Vos, Aaron Clark‐Ginsberg, Sofia Puente‐Duran, et al - New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 26 Feb 2021

This article synthesizes relevant theories and models of disaster, migration, and family resilience in order to create a framework in which to organize the complex processes that occur within families as a result of migration and that affect the mental health of children.

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Building Bridges for Every Child: Reception, Care and Services to Support Unaccompanied Children in the United States

UNICEF, 25 Feb 2021

UNICEF’s new report, Building Bridges for Every Child: Reception, Care and Services to Support Unaccompanied Children in the United States, considers global discussions on adequate reception and care for unaccompanied migrant and asylum-seeking children. Following the journey of children traveling alone from northern Central America to the U.S. – entering, navigating and leaving the U.S. reception and care system and transitioning to community life – this report presents eight overarching recommendations for the realization of a better and more equitable system of care and support for every child.

Mentoring Methodological Framework for MINT Project

Terre des Hommes as part of the MINT project, 12 Feb 2021

Through the MINT – Mentoring for Integration of third country national children affected by migration project, Terre des hommes and its partners aimed to empower refugee and migrant children, as well as European youth, to engage in new integration activities. This final Framework sets out guidelines drawn from existing documents and recognised good practice, as well as being informed by the experience of implementation.

Housing and Social Policies for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors in Greece

Nikos Kourachanis - Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 28 Jan 2021

This article examines the housing and social policies for URMs in Greece.

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Parent Emigration, Physical Health and Related Risk and Preventive Factors of Children Left Behind: A Systematic Review of Literature

Justina Racaite, Jutta Lindert, Khatia Antia, Volker Winkler, Rita Sketerskiene, Marija Jakubauskiene, Linda Wulkau and Gene Šurkien - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 28 Jan 2021

The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on physical health and related consequences of internal and international parental migration on left-behind children (LBC).

Parental migration and psychological well-being of left-behind adolescents in Western Nepal

Madhu Kharel, Shibanuma Akira, Junko Kiriya, Ken Ing Cherng Ong, Masamine Jimba - PLoS ONE, 28 Jan 2021

A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 626 adolescents in two districts of Western Nepal to examine the association between parental international migration and the psychological well-being of left-behind adolescents.