Why African States Must Protect Immigrant Children From Harm

Children in Uganda and generally the IGAD region are disproportionately affected by migration due to their vulnerability to violence, abuse and exploitation.     

The situation is usually exacerbated by the high level of voluntary and forced migration says Emnet Berhanu, IGAD Migrant Protection Specialist, IGAD Health and Social Division.   

Speaking at the event to mark the Day of African Child, Berhanu revealed that children from the region make a significant portion of the migrant and displaced persons population. 

“We see children displaced or migrating through irregular channels due to multiple factors including conflict, poverty environmental causes but also in search of better opportunities” she said.

///Cue In “Livelihood opportunities……

Cue out…death along their Journey”///

Emnet Berhanu was contributing to a debate on advancing Children’s Rights in the IGAD Region: A Commitment to Fostering an Africa Fit for Children. #DayoftheAfricanChild.   She said children face violence, exploitation, including lack of access to basic services. 

“The lack of access to basic services is putting their lives in danger. They face detention along their journey and marginalization as well” she reported. In most countries the children tend to move in efforts to escape disasters including armed rebellion. Many have ended up being detained despite their vulnerability. 

Article 16 of the IGAD Protocol on Free Movement of Persons addresses the movement of individuals affected by disasters.

It says Member States shall take measures to facilitate the extension of stay or the exercise of other rights by citizens of other Member States who are affected by disaster in accordance with the provisions of this Protocol when return to their state of origin is not possible or reasonable.  

Despite these guarantees, children have not been spared whenever authorities come out to curb immigrants. Children tend to be targeted by human traffickers. Berhanu said in in order to protect the children the member states came up IGAD Child Policy Framework.

“IGAD's extensive policy and programmatic interventions in sectors such as health, nutrition, education, social protection, migration, and displacement among others have significantly contributed to improving the lives of many children, families and communities in the region.” she observed.  

She revealed that East Africa region is one of the contributing region of the migration flow in the African continent.     

“We know one out of four migrants is a child. And most are from Eastern Horn of Africa. And we know that out the top ten African countries hosting child immigrants are in the IGAD region” said Berhanu.

////Cue In“You can see in Uganda…..

Cue Out….to children”/// 

“More than half of African refugees are children. 51% this is the data of 2023. Uganda for example one of the largest refugee hosting country is also hosting the largest number of child refugees”

In Africa alone, according to UNICEF, as of 2020, there were 6.2 million international migrant children. From January to October 2024, IOM tracked 28,578 child migrants along the Eastern Route, of whom 36 per cent were girls. Of these children, over a quarter (26 per cent) were unaccompanied. While the movements of children along Northern and Eastern Routes, to Europe and the Middle East respectively, are somewhat tracked, their journeys toward Southern Africa—the Southern Routes—remain poorly understood.   

Reports says children are three times more likely than adults to experience violence, exploitation and abuse during their journeys. Many children are detained simply because of their or their parents’ irregular migration status, and their detention can last weeks, months, or even years. 

Others are trafficked for the purposes of forced labour and sexual exploitation. These and other violations of their human rights leave a long-lasting impact on their physical and mental health as well as their emotional wellbeing.

The IGAD Child Policy suggest that member countries adopt a right-based approach making sure that migrant and or displaced children whether they are migrant of refugees are integrated in the  country child protection programmes.     

Prioritize Child Rights in Migration PoliciesThe international community must prioritize and act decisively to protect children on the move.   

At the heart of this is the fundamental principle enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, that children on the move are first and foremost children, with inherent rights to protection, inclusion, and participation in all decisions that affect them, regardless of the reasons for their movement and status.

Migration policies and practices must prioritize child rights by strengthening child protection systems to include children on the move and protect them from the risks they face and by removing legal, administrative, and practical barriers to ensure they can access basic services including national education, health, and child protection.