WUNRN
CHILDREN ON THE RUN - UNACCOMPANIED
CHILDREN LEAVING MEXICO, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, & EL SALVADOR
FOR THE US - NEED FOR INTERNATIONAL
PROTECTION - UN REFUGEE AGENCY (UNHCR) STUDY - GIRLS
Direct Link to Full 16-Page 2014
UNHCR Report:
See Conclusions Below.
The
responses of the 404 children from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico
interviewed for this study lead to several significant conclusions. First, the
reasons these children have for leaving their countries of origin are complex
and interrelated and can be understood only when examined from a
child-sensitive perspective and taken as a whole and in context. Related to
this multiplicity of reasons, there is no single dominant place of origin
within or among the different countries from where these children are coming.
Second, across the broad array of their responses, these children also clearly
share commonalities within and among all four countries. Third, the many
compelling narratives gathered in this study – only some of which are relayed
in this report – demonstrate unequivocally that many of these displaced
children faced grave danger and hardship in their countries of origin. Fourth,
there are significant gaps in the existing protection mechanisms currently in
place for these displaced children. The extent of these gaps is not fully known
because much of what happens to these children is not recorded or reported
anywhere. As such, it is reasonable to infer that the gaps may be even wider
than what the available data indicates. By all accounts, children arriving to
the U.S. from these four countries continue to rise in numbers as do the
numbers among them with potential international protection needs.
Through the children’s own words, the critical need for enhanced mechanisms to ensure that these displaced children are identified, screened and provided access to international protection is abundantly clear. The question now is how the five States, civil society and UNHCR can work together to best ensure that these children are carefully screened and provided the protection they so desperately need and deserve.