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Children on the move
As of January 2016, an estimated 30 million children are on the move, both within and between countries, with or without their parents. They are part of large-scale population movements currently taking place in many parts of the world.
Children on the move are those children moving for a variety of reasons, voluntary or involuntary within or between countries, with or without their parents or other primary caregivers, and whose movement might place them at risk (or at an increased risk) of inadequate care, economic or sexual exploitation, abuse, neglect or violence.
Children on the move is an umbrella term that brings together a series of categories of children to highlight their common protection needs, including, children who have been trafficked, children who migrate (e.g. to pursue better life opportunities, to look for work or education or to escape exploitative or abusive situations at home, or because of other protection needs), children displaced by conflict and natural disasters and children who live and work in the streets.
Movement can help children and their families improve their living standards and life opportunities. However, children do not always benefit from such potentials. Child protection policies and interventions should refocus to place the protection of the child at the centre as well as the need to support the positive aspects of mobility.
Save the Children’s goal is that all children, including those on the move and in emergencies, have appropriate care either from their own families or community-based alternatives.
Photo: Pedro Armestre/Save the Children
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Out of Sight, Exploited and Alone
This advocacy brief is a joint effort by 12 national and international humanitarian agencies responding to the needs of Unaccompanied or Separated Children (UASC) stranded in or on the move throughout the Balkans, specifically Bulgaria, the Former Yugosla
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Youth Transitions in the Horn of Africa: A Study on Youth Migration and Save the Children Programming in the Arid Lands of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia
A major shift in humanitarian approaches to protracted crises began following the 2010/11 drought in the Horn of Africa (HoA). The scale of the suffering combined with the failure of the international humanitarian system and governments in the region to r
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Balkans Migration and Displacement Hub Data and Trends Analysis: Regional overview (January-August 2017)
More than 10,000 refugees and migrants are currently present in the Balkans countries (other than Greece). The number of refugees and migrants transiting through the Balkans has decreased since the conclusion of the EU-Turkey Deal, however, the movement o
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A Child is a Child: Protecting children on the move from violence, abuse and exploitation
Due to the few opportunities for legal movement and migration, many of the children who are move alone are forced to rely on smugglers, putting them at risk for hazardous and exploitative situations. Traffickers and other exploitative persons thrive espec
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Specialised Foster Care for Unaccompanied and Separated Children in Serbia: A case study
The case study Specialised Foster Care for Unaccompanied and Separated Children in Serbia provides an overview of the project that Save the Children realised in Serbia during the refugee crisis response (2016 – 2017). Working together with relevant instit
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No Place to Call Home: Protecting children's rights when the changing climate forces them to flee
Children affected by climate change are vulnerable to a range of heightened risks, notably those that result from displacement and migration. Separation, exploitation, and limited access to health and education services are some of the many challenges and
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The Way Forward to Strengthened Policies and Practices for Unaccompanied and Separated Children in Europe
Regional and national laws in Europe provide a solid framework for child protection, based on international standards. However these laws have not systematically translated into a positive impact on the wellbeing of refugee and migrant children. Instead,
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Children on the Move in Italy and Greece
REACH, in the framework of a partnership with UNICEF, conducted an assessment on the profiles and experiences of children who arrived in Italy and Greece in 2016 and 2017, why they left home, the risks children encountered on their journey and their life
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The Refugee Children's Progress Report: Grading U.S. Refugee Policy from 2015-2017
The Refugee Children’s Progress Report gives grades to U.S. policy progress on four issues central to the health and well-being of refugee children: education, child protection, food security, and resettlement. Nearly half of the world’s 17.2 million refu
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I Play, I Learn and I'm Safe: Case Studies
I Play, I Learn and I’m Safe is a Save the Children programme for preventing unsafe migration of children in Ethiopia and Bangladesh by promoting protection, education and play for children on the move. Visit the campaign website to read individual case s
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Children and Migration in Albania: Latest trends and protection measures available
Terres the Hommes has been working in Albania to support the reintegration of families returning from migration and to stop unsafe migration through dangerous routes as part of their Global Migration Policy. This report undertakes a situational analysis o
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Children Come First, Intervento in Frontiera: Dossier II
The general objective of the project "Children Come First: Intervention at the border" is to strengthen the system of protection and reception of migrant children arriving in Italy, whether they are separated or accompanied by their parents. As part of th