Children on the Move/ IDPs

CHILDREN ON THE MOVE/IDPs is an initiative and one the thematic areas of the CYID Mixed Migration Support Working Group created to advocate for the inclusion and active participation of local authorities/local stakeholders in protection of children on the move and IDPs.

Children on the move are described as children migrating within their own country or across borders; Children migrating on their own or with their caretakers; Children forcibly displaced within their own country and across borders. Children may be on the move for different reasons. They may move in and out of different categories within the same journey or over time and, as such, they need protection and support mechanisms that are holistic, coherent and coordinated within and between countries.
Unaccompanied children, among mixed migration flows are particularly susceptible. They are faced with many risks which include:

• Family separation
• Lack of appropriate care and risks of being placed in harmful institutions
• Harassment
• Trafficking risks
• Gender based violence, including sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of girls and boys.