Displaced children

Every year, millions of children are forced to flee their homes to find refuge in unfamiliar territories as a result of conflict, desperation, impending danger and climate change, among other factors. Children in vulnerable positions are driven to find safety and stability. The haphazard and unpredictable nature of these journeys often puts them at risk of physical and emotional harm, discrimination, detention and deprivation.

Defining child displacement 

The term child displacement covers a wide range of situations and circumstances which force children, as part of a broader group of people, to permanently leave their community. Child displacement occurs as part of broader waves of human migration. Owing to their vulnerable position, children are more vulnerable to exploitation and harm during migration.

Forms of child displacement

Owing to the variety of drivers that push children and their families away from their homes, there are numerous forms of child displacement:

Internal displacement 

The international Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement define internally displaced persons as “persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result or of in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized border” (Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, 1998).

Planned displacement 

Though there is no universally recognized definition for planned displacement (or planned ‘relocation’), the phrase is commonly used to define situations in which governments deliberately plan and execute the movement of communities away from their residential location and into a new area (UNHCR, 2012). This displacement is usually justified by a desire to remove people from danger – such as environmental changes rendering a location uninhabitable – or to facilitate large-scale infrastructural projects: this is often termed development-forced displacement and resettlement (DFDR) (UNHCR, 2012).

Unaccompanied children 

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Unaccompanied or ‘separated’ children are those “separated from both parents, or from their previous legal or customary primary caregiver, but not necessarily from other relatives (UNHCR, 2021). These may, therefore, include children accompanied by other adult family members or caregivers.” Unaccompanied children are a cross-cutting form of child displacement.

Refugee children

Refugees are internationally recognized as individuals “who have been forced to flee conflict or persecution and have crossed an international border to seek safety” (UNHCR, 2024). The border-crossing element differentiates a refugee from other categories of migrant and displaced persons. 

Global estimates of child displacement 

Approximately 40% of the world’s displaced persons are children (UNHCR, n.d). By the end of 2022, UNHCR estimated that there were approximately 43.3 million children globally who have been forcibly displaced (UNHCR, 2023). Roughly 60% of these children have been displaced as a result of conflict and violence (UNHCR 2023). 

This number includes 17.5 million refugees and asylum seekers: 14.2 million refugee children, 1.8 million registered Palestinian children and 1.5 million children seeking asylum (UNICEF, 2024). Between 2010 and 2022, the number of displaced children doubled from 20.6 million children to 43.3 million children (UNICEF, 2024). A majority of displaced children are from Syria (2.99 million), Ukraine (2.02 million), Afghanistan (2.61 million) and South Sudan (1.35 million) (UNICEF, 2024). These statistics emphasize the crucial role of violence and conflict as a powerful driver of forced migration.

Drivers of child displacement 

Conflict, violence, and civil unrest 

War, conflict and unrest can force children and their communities to flee their ordinary communities and homes to find safety. A fitting example is the war in Ukraine which has displaced over 2 million children since its inception in 2022 (UNICEF, 2024). 

Climate change and environmental or human-made disasters 

A report from 2023 outlines that over 40 million children have been displaced in the last six years due to weather-related disasters with 95% of these displacements being driven by floods and storms (UNICEF, 2023). The increasing prevalence of natural disasters due to climate change is continuing to put children at risk of displacement from their homes. 

Persecution and targeting 

Aside from regional or nation-wide wars and conflicts, children may be forced to flee their homes for safety when they, their families or their communities are facing persecution. This could be due to discriminatory practices – such as ethnic or religious targeting – or threats of violence and harm due to personal conflicts. 

Disruption and separation 

Children may also be forcibly displaced from their homes due to communal disruption. This includes instances of planned displacement in which governments force communities from their homes as part of planned infrastructural projects. 

Risks and effects of child displacement 

Forced displacement places children at risk of physical and emotional harm, both during transit and once they reach their new destination. The main risks and their consequences can be grouped as follows:

Abuse and exploitation 

Removing children from their familiar surroundings increases the risk that they could be subjected to abuse and exploitation. Children may have trouble accessing basic services such as health, citizenship and education once they have been displaced. They may also be placed in environments in which they are unable to assimilate due to cultural, religious and language differences. These conditions can create a vulnerable environment for children, leaving them more susceptible to abuse and exploitation by others. 

Child, early and forced marriage (CEFMU) 

Children who have been forcibly displaced from their homes may face greater risks of child marriage once they are removed from the familiarity of their surroundings. Further, children may be more exposed to exploitation due to the absence or ineligibility of relevant support networks in their new location (UNICEF, 2024). Faced with economic hardships, families may also push their children to marry if they feel this will provide them with more financial stability and security.

Child labour 

Forced displacement is often accompanied by poverty and financial challenges. This loss of income for families can drive them towards putting their children to work rather than attempting to integrate them into education (DeCID, n.d). 

Child trafficking 

Child displacement is often unplanned and sporadic, in response to crises and other unforeseen events.  As a result, formal and legal channels are not always present to facilitate the quick migration of populations. This may force families to turn towards illicit transit mechanisms, exposing children to the risk of human trafficking. 

Poverty 

Families and children who have been forced away from their homes are likely to be faced with financial challenges due to loss of livelihoods and unfamiliarity with the destination environment. This can lead to food insecurity and a lack of other basic needs, driving families towards other risky practices. 

Statelessness 

Refugee children – particularly those who lack proof of nationality – may find it hard to acquire citizenship in a new country. This can impede children’s ability to access other vital services such as healthcare, welfare and education (Stateless Journeys, n.d).

Key documents and international legal instruments 

There are various international legal instruments that recognize and respond to migrant and displaced children. Collectively, these instruments provide a legal basis for holding countries accountable for their actions, or inactions, towards the protection of children against displacement. The instruments span a broad range of recommendations: from guiding principles on how to support and deal with displaced children, to baseline children’s rights mechanisms that can be put in place to prevent displacement from occurring in the first instance. 

These would be key documents and international legal instruments safeguarding the rights of displaced children:

  1. Inter-agency guiding principles on unaccompanied and separated children 
  2. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child 
  3. The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 
  4. UNHCR Guidelines on Policies and Procedures in dealing with unaccompanied children seeking asylum 
  5. UNHCR: Refugee Children Guidelines on Protection and Care 
  6. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 
  7. United Nations Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict 
  8. United Nations Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography 

Strategies and solutions for addressing child displacement

National measures put in place to prevent child displacement and support victims are bespoke to local contexts. However, there are common and successful strategies implemented across the world, these include: 

  • Addressing drivers of child displacement – child displacement should be treated holistically: as the symptom of an underlying disease. This means working to address broad conditions that increase the likelihood of child displacement: unrest and conflict; waves of cultural or religious persecution; government policies driving familial separation; and climate change vulnerabilities, among other factors. 
  • Ensuring that the best interests of the child are prioritized – countries must centre all child displacement responses on the principle of the best interests of this child. This includes taking all efforts to realize family reunification and engage with child victim’s families and ensuring all child displacement policies and procedures are specific to children and note their specific vulnerabilities relative to adults (UNICEF, 2024).
  • Providing victim rehabilitation – it is necessary to develop and maintain comprehensive psychological and physical mechanisms to support child victims of forced displacement. These responses must note the breadth of psychological harm that can face children who have been forcibly removed from their homes and communities. 
  • Guarding against knock-on effects of child displacement – effective child displacement responses must acknowledge that displaced children are at risk of further abuses and harms. These include crimes and manipulations perpetrated by malicious actors, as well as social disadvantages triggered by children’s vulnerable positions, such as access to education and welfare services.

Written by Vanessa Cezarita Cordeiro 

Internally proofread by Aditi Partha 

Last updated on 11 February 2024 

References: 

DeCID. (n,d). “Children in urban settings affected by displacement.” Retrieved from DeCID, accessed on 5 February 2024. 

Stateless Journeys. (n,d). “Children’s rights to a nationality.” Retrieved from Stateless Journeys, accessed on 7 February 2024. 

UNHCR. (2012, December 31). “Migration, displacement and planned relocation.” Retrieved from UNHCR, accessed on 7 February 2024). 

UNHCR. (n,d). “Feeling unaccompanied.” Retrieved from UNHCR, accessed on 7 February 2024.

UNHCR. (n,d). “Refugees.” Retrieved from UNHCR, accessed on 8 February 2024. 

UNHCR. (n,d). “Unaccompanied and separated children.” Retrieved from UNHCR, accessed on 8 February 2024. 

UNICEF. (2022, November 11). “Guidance for protecting displaced and refugee children in and outside of Ukraine.” Retrieved from UNICEF, accessed on 6 February 2024. 

UNICEF. (2023, June 13). “Number of displaced children reached new high of 43.3 million.” Retrieved from UNICEF, accessed on 8 February 2024. 

UNICEF. (2023, June). “Child displacement.” Retrieved from UNICEF, accessed on 8 February 2024. 

UNICEF. (2023). “Children displaced in a changing climate.” Retrieved from UNICEF, accessed on 7 February 2024. 

UNICEF. (2024). “War in Ukraine: Support for children and families” Retrieved from UNICEF, accessed on 23 February 2024.

UNICEF. (2024, June) “Child displacement.” Retrieved from UNICEF, accessed on 5 February 2024. 

UNICEF. (n,d). “Migrant and displaced children.” Retrieved from UNICEF, accessed on 6 February 2024). 

UNICEF. (n,d). “Migrant and displaced children.” Retrieved from UNICEF, accessed on 8 February 2024). 

United Nations Economic and Social Council. (1998, February 11). “Further promotion and encouragement of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, including the Question of the Programme and Methods of Work of the Commission.” Retrieved from United Nations Economic and Social Council, accessed on 8 February 2024.