20 June 2018

Agenda for action for uprooted children

UNICEF calls for six actions to protect all refugee and migrant children, Around the world, millions of families are fleeing their homes to escape conflict, persecution and poverty. Many of these children face danger, detention, deprivation and discrimination, and the world must stand up for them. An icon of two children in a house, Press for action on the causes that uproot children from their homes, Protracted conflicts, persistent violence and extreme poverty and disadvantage drive millions of children from their homes. UNICEF calls for greater efforts to protect children from conflict and to address the root causes of violence and poverty. Such efforts should include increasing access to education, strengthening health and child protection…, Help uprooted children to stay in school and stay healthy, Many refugee and migrant children miss out on an education – and many lack access to health care and other essential services. UNICEF calls for increased collective efforts by governments, communities and the private sector to provide uprooted children with access to an education and health services, and to shelter, nutrition, water and sanitation…, Keep families together and give children legal status, Children who are travelling alone or who have been separated from their families are more easily preyed upon and more vulnerable to violence and abuse. UNICEF calls for stronger policies to prevent the separation of children from their parents and other family members in transit; and faster procedures to reunite children with their families,…, End the detention of refugee and migrant children by creating practical alternatives, Detention is harmful to children’s health and well-being, and can undermine their development. UNICEF calls for practical alternatives to detention for all children. Unaccompanied and separated children should be placed in foster care, supervised independent living, or other family- or community-based living arrangements. Children should not be…, Combat xenophobia and discrimination, Uprooted children are often victimized by discrimination, xenophobia and stigma – both during their journeys and at their final destinations. We all have a part to play in welcoming uprooted children into our cities and communities. UNICEF calls on local leaders, religious groups, non-governmental organizations, the media and the private sector to…, Protect uprooted children from exploitation and violence, Refugee and migrant children are extremely vulnerable to violence and abuse, and to being preyed upon by smugglers and even enslaved by traffickers. UNICEF calls for more safe and legal channels for children to migrate and to seek refuge. Cracking down on trafficking, strengthening child protection systems and expanding access to information and…