The EU, UNICEF and UNHCR join efforts to protect children on the move in Central America, Mexico and Southern Africa

The European Union (EU), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency announced the launch of the new EU Global Promotion of Best Practices for Children in Migration programme to strengthen child protection systems and provide alternatives to immigration detention.

This multi-country programme, with a total budget of €7.5 million, has received €7 million from the EU and is being implemented across four countries in two regions: El Salvador and Mexico in Latin America; South Africa and Zambia in Southern Africa. Over the course of the 30-month programme, UNICEF and UNHCR will jointly work with national governments; local authorities with portfolios of child protection and social welfare, home affairs and justice; civil society organisations, and other stakeholders around three key goals for children.

Firstly, the programme will ensure that the capacity of child protection systems to include gender-responsive services and alternative care options to immigration detention is enhanced. Secondly, that the capacity of frontline actors to detect children on the move suffering from, or at risk of, gender-based violence and to refer them to appropriate alternative family and community care is increased. And, thirdly, that lessons learned and best practices on programming for children on the move are documented and shared to contribute to strengthened south-south and global cooperation.

“This project is a crucial opportunity for all actors involved in the protection of children on the move to work better together. These boys and girls face specific risks requiring tailored, gender-specific, and child-sensitive responses. Children should not be detained,” said Grainne O’Hara, UNHCR’s Director of International Protection.

“Having fled from violence and persecution, children too often face further abuse, neglect, and exploitation on their journey or at their destination. With this programme, we hope that safe alternative care arrangements will be strengthened and that children at risk are quickly identified and receive the attention they urgently need,” she said

The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs dataset on migration show that in 2019 the number of international migrants in Eastern and Southern Africa and Central America stood at 12.3 million and 1.9 million respectively. The EU Global Promotion of Best Practices for Children in Migration programme will ensure that children in the four countries, particularly those impacted by immigration detention, are supported with child protection focused services.