The number of unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border first increased notably in 2014, drawing the attention of the U.S. government, media, and public. Here, you can find in one place a collection of relevant MPI resources, from analyses of trends and policy developments surrounding these flows of child migrants to data and country profiles of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, and MPI briefings.

Approximately 11,500 unaccompanied children were apprehended at the U.S.-Mexico border in May 2019. As the U.S. government struggles to care for these child migrants, with public outrage mounting over reports of unsafe, filthy conditions in initial Border Patrol custody, the failure of the executive branch and Congress to plan for increased shelter and care demands are increasingly apparent, as this article explores.

The complex push and pull factors driving child and family migration from Central America to the United States have changed little since the 2014 crisis. Despite some fluctuation in arrival numbers, recent trends suggest the characteristics of an enduring phenomenon. This article explores the latest developments in U.S. policy responses, including enforcement operations, development assistance, and family detention.

Child migrants traveling alone to Europe or the United States face similar dangers and are particularly at risk of abuse and trafficking. The arrival of tens of thousands of such children in Europe and the United States have overwhelmed accommodations as well as legal and integration processes, as this article explores. Furthermore, the unprecedented flows have sparked heated public debate in a number of cities.

The growth of organized crime in Mexico and Central America has dramatically increased the risks that migrants crossing the region face. As this report outlines, migrants increasingly are forced to seek the assistance of intermediaries, and those unable to afford one are more likely to be abused along the way.

Read the full article about child migration at Migration Policy Institute