Migrant children are reaching record numbers
hanineThe number of migrant children who have left their homes has increased very quickly in the recent period. Several reasons prompted many families to migrate and leave their homes. Armed conflicts, economic crises, etc… Perhaps the most affected by these conflicts are children, according to the UNICEF report migrant children number reached 36.6 million by the end of 2021. This number is also It is the highest number recorded since World War II. This number is divided between 16.7 million refugees and asylum seekers and 22.8 internal migrants.
Why is the number of immigrant children increasing?
The successive crises have greatly affected the number of migrants in the past years, in addition to the economic fragility in many countries. The number of migrant children has increased in the past year only by 2.2 million children. UNICEF indicated that more than a third of them live in Africa, and 13% of them live in the Middle East.
UNICEF Executive Director Kathryn Russell also worried that the number of migrant children cannot be ignored, and this number has increased in recent years.
Measures must be taken to protect refugee and migrant children, according to UNICEF
UNICEF has called for six actions to protect migrant and refugee children:
1- Solving the problems that lead to the migration of these children, such as prolonged conflicts, marginalization, poverty, and violence, by strengthening health systems and social safety nets, and providing income opportunities for families.
2- Helping children who have dropped out of school to return to it and maintain their health.
3- Taking care of children staying with their families and supporting them legally.
4- Protecting children from arrest.
5- Fighting discrimination and hatred practiced against migrants because they are foreigners.
6- Protecting refugee and from the risk of exploitation and violence.
