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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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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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Protecting Syrian Children en Route to Europe: A study conducted in Syria, along transit routes & in hosting countries
In December 2015, Altai Consulting was commissioned by Save the Children’s Middle East and Eurasia Regional Office to conduct a research study on the protection of children fleeing from the Syria conflict and traveling to Europe. Fieldwork was conducted o
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Mellan Flykt och Framtid: Barnkonventionen i Praktiken
Prepared by Emerga Research and Consulting on behalf of Save the Children Sweden, this report is a study of unaccompanied, asylum-seeking children’s initial experiences in Sweden. The experiences of eight youth are shared and written in cooperation with t
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Barns egna asylskäl: Om rätten att bli sedd som individ
Children have rights, the same as adults, yet they also have particular rights as children. This also applies to asylum-seeking children. These children can have the same reasons for seeking asylum as an adult, but also for reasons relevant to being a chi
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The Journey of Refugee and Asylum-Seeking Children Across the Andaman Sea
This report reviews the maritime movements of refugees and migrants across South East Asia, focusing on refugee and asylum-seeking children and their experiences in countries of origin, transit and destination. This journey typically begins in Myanmar and
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Hear it From the Children- on the move and arriving in Norway
This study documents the experiences and views of children who have fled their country and are seeking asylum in Norway. Through talking and listening to children on the move, the Hear it from the Children initiative brings forward children’s unique persp
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Uprooted: The growing crisis for refugee and migrant children
Produced by Unicef, this comprehensive report presents a global data set on migrating and displaced children in today’s world: where they are born, where they move, and some of the dangers they face along the way. Children on the move are at risk of some
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Children on the Move: A crisis in the Northern Triangle, Mexico and USA
In the past two years, there has been a considerable increase in the number of unaccompanied children and adolescents from the Northern Triangle who migrate to the USA, and in the number of migrant families with children, particularly young women with chi
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Children on the Move: An urgent human rights and child protection priority
Migrating children is not a new phenomenon: children have fled their homes for centuries to reach safe havens away from poverty, conflict, and disaster. With increased globalization, escalated global warming, and transitioning economies, we are likely to
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I Play, I Learn and I'm Safe: Project brief
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. This one-pager briefly presents the programme proces
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Children on the Move: Honduras
Save the Children partners with the Government (DINAF), Municipal and Civil Society Institutions, to build their personnel’s capacity on the Integral Attention for Children and Adolescents, especially the Migrant Population. Save the Children also coordin
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Children on the Move: El Salvador
Save the Children works with children, adolescents, parents, teachers, leaders, and local authorities to build capacity, create local networks and promote laws for violence prevention. Save the Children also partners with the State and Civil Society Organ