Record number of uprooted children travelling alone need access to education

They travel to escape conflicts in Syria and South Sudan. To flee from gang violence in Central America. To avoid poverty,聽child marriage and conscription into armed forces in many countries around the world. Often their family and friends are dead.

Whatever the reasons, huge numbers of聽refugee and migrant children are聽travelling alone – often risking their lives聽on dangerous routes.

“Ruthless smugglers and traffickers are exploiting their聽vulnerability for personal gain, helping children to cross聽borders, only to sell them into slavery and forced
prostitution,” said聽Justin Forsyth, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF.

“We as adults are failing to protect them.国产视频�

The United Nations children’s agency聽revealed in a new report that a record number of children are travelling alone in a bid to get to other countries.

At least 300,000 unaccompanied and separated children were recorded in 80 countries during聽2015 and 2016 –聽a five-fold increase聽from 66,000 in 2010 and 2011.

The UNICEF report – A聽Child is a Child – said too聽many of these children are missing out on education.

It called on governments, local communities and the private sector to work together to provide uprooted children with access to schooling and health services.

“A child国产视频檚 migration status should never be a barrier to accessing basic services,” it said.

For many refugee children, getting聽a quality education means they won国产视频檛 have to start working for a living before they are adults.

Being in school also聽means children are less at risk of child labour, child marriage, exploitation and recruitment by armed forces.聽

Of the 300,000聽unaccompanied and separated children recorded during 2015-16, 200,000 applied for asylum in 80 countries – 170,000 of them in Europe. Another 100,000 were apprehended at the United States-Mexico border.