Profiles

Current times are characterized by unprecedented migration levels: millions of people are on the move worldwide. Thus, understanding why people decide to migrate is a major goal of policymakers and international organizations, and migration has become a prominent issue on the global research agenda. Traditional migration drivers can be divided into reasons to leave (‘push’ factors) and reasons to migrate (‘pull’ factors), and include income deprivation, dissatisfaction with public services and institutions in the home country, conflict and war, climate change, and social networks abroad. In this paper, we focus our attention on children’s well-being as a potential migration driver. We investigate it by using the Gallup World Poll, a repeated cross-section dataset of a survey conducted in more than 150 countries from 2006 to 2016. We estimate the association between planned and intended migration and children’s perceived well-being using logit models with standardized coefficients, robust standard errors, and year and country fixed effects. Estimates reveal a positive and statistically significant association between child-related concerns, migration intent and plans. In particular, the probability of individuals having migration intent and plans increases where they report lower levels of satisfaction with child-related issues, as measured by the Youth Development Index, an index driven by indicators of respect for children and satisfaction with the education system. Moreover, children’s well-being affects more individuals living in households with children than those without. Finally, migration is a child- and youth-related phenomenon: young individuals would like to migrate, and plan to do so, more than older individuals.

Drawing on Europe’s experience, this brief provides a cross-country comparative overview of inequality affecting children in the migration pathway, who are often described as 'children on the move'. Following a brief overview of the policy and practice in relation to various categories of refugee and migration children in Europe, it reflects on the performance of the countries with regard to Target 10.7 of the SDG.

This brief takes a deep dive in the semantics and conceptual issues in the children and migration discourse, and highlights some of the key implementation gaps. It offers a summary of the risks, vulnerabilities and protection needs of children as refugees and migration in Europe. Using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child as the normative frameworks, this brief also emphasizes how the voices of children in migration pathway must be heard and respected.

This week, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) launched its 2018 Global Report on Internal Displacement (GRID 2018), which presents data and analysis on the patterns and trends of internal displacement worldwide. The main findings of this report show that despite twenty years of global and national policy effort, since the publication of the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement in 1998, the pace of displacement is still outstripping efforts to address it. The most important difference between a refugee and an internally displaced person (IDP) is that instead of crossing international boundaries IDPs are exiled within their own State of origin. Due to this unique context, not only is there limited legal protection offered to the IDPs, but also a considerable lack of evidence about them. And data is now urgently needed to provide adequate protection to this growing, highly vulnerable population. A family displaced by fighting stand outside their makeshift shelter in Benakuna village, near Mbuji Mayi, Kasaï region, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saturday 27 January 2018.The GRID 2018 puts the spotlight on several displacement-affected countries where children are amongst the most vulnerable, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Yemen, some of the most acute humanitarian crises of our time. As highlighted in the report, the global number of new internal displacements – caused by conflict, violence or disasters – reached 30.6 million. The number associated with conflict and violence almost doubled over the last two years, from 6.9 million in 2016 to 11.8 million in 2017. Syria, the DRC and Iraq together accounted for more than half of the global figure. Disasters alone caused 18.8 million new displacements last year, mainly triggered by weather-related events including major storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic, South Asia and East Asia and Pacific. Children make up about 60 percent of the DRC’s internally displaced population. Towards the end of 2017, the UN declared the highest humanitarian alert in the UN system in the provinces of South Kivu, Tanganyika and the region of KasaiThe numbers presented in this year’s GRID illustrate that the problem of internal displacement is far from being solved, and that a new approach is needed to cope with the current trends, and more importantly, to reduce the risk of future displacement. It also shows that the levels of displacement severity and its impacts on people vary hugely between and within countries. This calls for renewed action, led by affected countries, to address the problem as a national priority in both humanitarian and development terms. With 2.16 million new displacements recorded in 2017, the DRC comes second only to Syria, yet remains one of the most under-funded crises. Children make up about 60 percent of the DRC’s internally displaced population. Towards the end of 2017, the UN declared the highest humanitarian alert in the UN system in the provinces of South Kivu, Tanganyika and the region of Kasai, where several schools were occupied by armed groups, putting the education of as many as 64,000 children at risk. This meant that children were not only deprived of their education, but were also left at a higher risk of joining armed groups. The province of North Kivu, also affected by conflict, was identified as having around 82 percent of the total children recruited by armed groups. In Yemen, women and children constitute 75 percent of the country’s displaced population, and their protection concerns are particularly acute. Their safety, access to services and livelihood opportunities are compromised by entrenched inequalities, which puts them at increased risk of abuse and exploitation. Displaced children are at extremely high risk of falling out of education and many become embroiled in negative coping mechanisms such as child labour, recruitment into armed groups and child marriage. A survey conducted across three governorates with large displaced populations in late 2016 found that 45 per cent of marriages involved girls under the age of 15. The list of countries affected by displacement, where children suffer from its impacts, could go on. One of the main takeaways from GRID 2018 is that despite the efforts of the international community to protect and assist those displaced, more investments must be made at the national and international levels in sustainable development, peacebuilding and addressing the impacts of climate change and disaster risk reduction. This is particularly relevant for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as internal displacement is directly related to all the Goals. At the core of this discussion lies the importance of data disaggregation by age and sex. The GRID 2018 highlights that major data gaps persist, making it difficult to paint the full picture of internal displacement and its impacts, including on children. If we are to design better policies to address the issue and reduce children’s vulnerabilities, we need to get better at monitoring its progress and capture its complexity. Bridging the gap between development priorities and humanitarian concerns is what will truly turn the tide on internal displacement. Vicente Anzellini is coordinator for the GRID Project, with the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. Bina D’Costa is Senior Migration and Displacement Research Specialist at UNICEF Innocenti.

Migration is a major human phenomenon that has accompanied civilization since the origins of mankind. People have been moving across regions, countries and continents in search of better opportunities for millennia; however, in recent years migration has become an extremely urgent and complex issue – even a hot topic in the political arena.Although migration has been investigated in countless studies, some critical unanswered questions regarding children remain: for example, do children’s living standards in the country of origin play a major role in the decision to migrate? To what extent do limited educational opportunities and unsafe environments for children affect migration decisions? These elements may mostly influence parental decisions, but they might also be influential factors for people without children looking for a better life. In fact, child rights and the quality of educational systems are important indicators of social and cultural development in a country.A refugee family from Afghanistan look at clothes in the UNICEF children's corner in Divljana refugee camp in Serbia.Migration is a child and youth related issue, with aspirations to migrate highest between ages 17 and 22 and parental perceptions about child well-being a significant push factorA forthcoming Working Paper from UNICEF Innocenti analyses these issues by exploring data from the Gallup World Poll (GWP). This unique dataset can provide valid global insights into migration and migrants’ experiences, with focus on the condition of children in their home country and on the presence of youth within the households. It is a repeated cross-sectional dataset, representing 98% of the world’s adult population (over 15 years old) since 2006.Gallup World Poll data allows researchers to monitor migration trends, to describe and identify common features characterizing potential migrants (age, gender, education, income level and marital status). It can identify where potential migrants may currently be and where they want to go. Researchers even investigated whether child-related factors influence migration intentions and plans. The Youth Development Index, available as a GWP dataset, gathered child-related concerns through three survey questions able to capture respondents’ sensitiveness in this regard (specifically, they have been asked their opinion about: children treated with respect; children have an opportunity to learn and grow; their levels of satisfaction with education services).This work represents the first attempt to quantify the extent to which child-related concerns influence migration decisions. Ideally, it will pave the way for attracting the attention of both academics and policymakers to this issue. Some striking findings arising from our analysis are:Migration is a child- and youth-related phenomenon, as both migration intent and migration plans peak at young age (approximately at age 17 and 22 respectively, in global terms);Perceived child well-being significantly affects both migration intent and plans, even after having considered a full range of other influential factors affecting migration decisions;Individuals belonging to households with children aged 15 or below are more affected by child-related variables in their migration intent or plan, than those living in children-free household;The presence of children in the household positively affects migration intent, and negatively affects migration plans. In other words, the presence of children encourages people to search for a better life somewhere else. On the other hand, it represents an obstacle to the realization of migration intent, as children may represent additional costs in the migration process. Globally, the effect sizes of children-related concerns are comparable to the effect sizes of factors related to economics, governance and lack of security, which are usually put forward as likely drivers of migration. Perceived child well-being, in particular, has been revealed to affect migration intent more than factors like satisfaction with public services or food deprivation. Also, when we look at migration plans, factors such as satisfaction with public services, economic conditions and confidence in key institutions play a secondary role with respect to child-related concerns.A more in-depth analysis reveals different results based on regional differences in income levels: households in upper-middle-income countries devote greater importance to children’s well-being than households from other income regions (in both migration intent and plans). In addition, child-related issues in high-income countries lose their importance, remaining statistically significant, in favor of other factors, traditionally considered as drivers of migration and affecting migration intent.In addition to this, researchers showed that young, male and single people, and those with secondary education or higher reveal the strongest intention to migrate and plan to do it.This new evidence supports the hypothesis that child-related concerns are potential drivers of migration. Ideally, this is a major starting point for further analysis, which could emphasize the role of youth and the presence of children in decisions to migrate and, specifically, investigate the role of children’s well-being in the country of origin as a major push factor.Sara Burrone is a research fellow at the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche. Bina D'Costa is research and evaluation specialist (migration) with UNICEF Innocenti. Göran Holmqvist is Director, Asia, Middle East and Humanitarian Assistance with Swedish International Development Assistance (SIDA). Explore the UNICEF Innocenti research catalogue for new publications. Follow UNICEF Innocenti on Twitter and sign up for e-newsletters on any page of the UNICEF Innocenti website. 

With world leaders gathering at the United Nations for high level deliberations on the global migration crisis, the need for solid evidence to develop better policies on child migration has never been greater. As a response, UNICEF has  released  a new report, "Uprooted: The Growing Crisis for Migrant and Refugee Children," which  includes comprehensive data on child migrants and refugees around the world. In addition UNICEF  Innocenti has devoted the latest edition of Research Watch to the theme: Children on the Move. Rayyan Sabet-Parry, Consultant at UNICEF Innocenti, spoke to Bina D'Costa, a contributor to the new Research Watch portal and soon to join  UNICEF Innocenti as a migration specialist. Rayyan Sabet-Parry: What are the main drivers pushing children to migrate, and why do we need to understand them better? Bina D'Costa: Children cross borders - within and outside states - for different reasons and in varying circumstances, both voluntary and involuntary. In a broad sense, economic, socio-political and environmental motivations influence children to migrate. Poverty has traditionally been one of the main drivers of migration of children, particularly from rural to urban locations. However, there is now a recognition that the poorest cannot so easily migrate to another country. Children are also trafficked to provide labour, forced to move because of political violence and environmental disasters. Although internal/domestic migration of children occurs persistently, it is perceived, albeit incorrectly, as ordinary, everyday migration. On the other hand, international migration of children is now more evident and because of conflict induced migration, understood as distinct, dangerous and traumatic. The mobility pathway deeply impacts on a child's development and the future of our world. We need to understand the migration patterns, because it matters. RSP: We see a lot of coverage of unaccompanied children in migration. Are more children migrating on their own? Bina D'Costa, scholar and researcher focusing on human rights, human security and migration issues.BD: This multifaceted and global humanitarian phenomenon involves children who are either sent by their families for protection, or are compelled to move following a loss of family in a crisis. Unaccompanied and separated children have long been a feature of migration flows. However, historically, in the context of official resettlement programs in developed countries, they have not been associated with refugee status. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, scores of children, including unaccompanied and separated children, started to arrive in Europe. Catastrophic events in different parts of the world have prompted many children to leave their homes alone. In part due to a lack of understanding of how serious this phenomenon is and in part due to the absence of any coordinated formal responses from the states and the international organizations, the horrific ordeals of unaccompanied and separated children have been largely overlooked. Recent research and advocacy has turned its attention to the experiences of children travelling alone. Because of sympathetic media coverage, and increasing interest from regulatory bodies, we now know that the numbers of unaccompanied children to developed countries, particularly the United States and Europe, has escalated dramatically due to poor economic conditions and protracted conflicts. Children are also crossing international borders at much younger ages.   The number of unaccompanied girls has also been increasing at an alarming rate. RSP: Why is research on children migrants so important right now? BD: Child-sensitive and child-responsive research is incredibly important and could explain the dynamics of migration not captured by more general research on migration. Although vast data now exists chronicling the lives of migrants, we have less understanding of the movement of young people.   Historically, receiving and origin societies have been more supportive of the migration of children and youth for a range of reasons. At one end of the spectrum, societies often have an exploitative interest in child migrants, who are valued for their labour, and at the other end, there exists genuine compassion and recognition that the international community must commit together to support child migrants. RSP: How can better evidence improve the situation for children in migration? BD: Children should be given the opportunity to become productive and valued members of the society through careful adaptation and integration which respects their cultural diversity and be sensitive to the profound trauma that these children have suffered. We have limited literature that includes perspectives of child migrants. Evidence based research can also help us distinguish between the needs and protection strategies for the hyper-visible and vulnerable child migrants from the independent and invisible child migrants. RSP: What are the main challenges for legal systems in terms of protecting the rights of children in migration? BD: The failure of legislative measures to address the specific circumstances and vulnerabilities of children, the lack of sincere commitment of parties, particularly those caught up in conflicts and a failure to form strong and unified regulatory regimes capable of dealing with child migrant rights are among some of the major challenges in protecting children. Legal systems focus on protection from the most egrarious violations of children's rights and fall short in providing for children's wellbeing and development.  The reach of laws is often poor due to a lack of awareness, lack of respect and lack of enforcement and because children are uniquely susceptible to exploitation.  Children are often harmed by those who should be protecting them.   Child migrant agencies are frequently ignored or manipulated in the interest of state parties. RSP: How do you end the detention of children seeking refugee status? What are the alternatives? BD: States must ensure humane and appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect children seeking sanctuary. We need to recognize that one of the most inhumane ways of assessing a child's refugee status is housing children in detention facilities. Advocacy and evidence based research reveals the harmful consequences of detention on children. The outputs of such research need to be communicated effectively to state parties. There are alternatives to prolonged and mandatory detention.   Children could be provided with community care following appropriate assessments of risks and benefits. Usually community care is far easier and cheaper, and involves fewer risks to the mental health and wellbeing of children. RSP: How can we protect child refugees and migrants from exploitation and violence? BD: Approximately half of the 19 million registered refugees globally are children and youth. Advocating for protection becomes a much more complex process for children who are forced to flee their homes and have their citizenship stripped. Almost without any exception all child refugees experience severe stress and anxiety. Many children, who are forced to flee are taken by armed groups and can be used to perpetrate violence against others. Four specific advocacy approaches are critical in ensuring the protection of child refugees: publicly naming those who target children; establishing children's 'peace zones'; lobbying for a more rigorous normative framework of protection; and establishing international alerts to ensure that states and non-state actors comply with existing humanitarian and human rights norms. RSP: Finally, is there a role for research in making societies more welcoming and receptive to child migrants? BD: We need systematic analyses to understand the dynamics of child migration. There also has to be close collaboration between researchers, policymakers and activists allowing us to express the nuances of child-sensitive and child-responsive migratory processes. Research, in particular evidence-based research, can persuade international, regional and state actors that the migration of children is a humanitarian issue not just a political issue.   Research can dispel myths and anxieties surrounding migration, and could help design strategies that are effective in resettling children. Good research can also explain to advocates for child migrants how and why certain political decisions are taken, and support the explicit integration of children's rights and protection in the migration agenda. ------------- Bina D'Costa will soon take up her duties as research and evaluation specialist (migration) at UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti. Before that she was the Director of Teaching in the Department of International Relations for the Australian National University in Canberra. Rayyan Sabet-Parry is a consultant with UNICEF Innocenti. The Office of Research - Innocenti is UNICEF's dedicated research centre undertaking research on emerging and current priorities to shape policy and practice for children. Subscribe to UNICEF Innocenti emails  here. Follow UNICEF Innocenti on Twitter  here. Access the complete Innocenti research catalogue:  unicef-irc.org/publications