Children crossing borders: Report on unaccompanied minors who have travelled to South Africa

This report presents findings of research into why unaccompanied children from Zimbabwe and Mozambique cross into South Africa. It begins to address a significant dearth of information about children who cross international borders. Although there has been increasing research into children’s migrations, there is very little research on children who migrate without a caregiver or those who migrate across international borders. The research aims to provide information on the routes of migration; who children migrated with; the reasons for migration; how these children obtained basic necessities such as food, money, shelter, health care and safety; and their experiences of arrest, deportation and violence. The research took place in three main sites: Johannesburg, the border with Zimbabwe (predominantly in Musina) and the border with Mozambique (predominantly in Malelane and Komatipoort).