Ahead of an international meeting on migration in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, UNICEF released a blueprint for how to protect immigrant children. The report titled “Beyond Borders: How to make the global compacts on migration and refugees work for uprooted children,” highlights best practices for the care and protection of refugee and migrant children. “Refugee and migrant children are especially vulnerable to xenophobia, abuse, sexual exploitation, and lack of access to social services. It is imperative to have policies in place to protect them over the course of their journey,” the report says. Sharing case studies from around the world, the report presents a six point agenda for action as a basis for policies to protect refugee and migrant children and ensure their wellbeing.

Children deserve better protection. In 2016, Safe Passage Project and Professor Lenni Benson authored a paper US Protection of Immigrant Children: A System in Need of Improvement, contending with some of the fundamental issues highlighted in the report.

Click here for the UNICEF full report.

and here for Professor Benson’s paper: U.S. Protection of Immigrant Children_A System in Need of Improvement June 2016 (2)