United Nations Monitoring Report: Why Mexican Children Migrate UNHCR
go to original August 31, 2014

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The United Nations High Commissioner for refugees interviewed 404 of unaccompanied minors from Central America and Mexico to find out why they left their countries.

Unlike unaccompanied and separated children from all other countries, children from Mexico are not automatically referred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement custody unless they state a fear of return to Mexico, have been or at risk of being trafficked, or are deemed unable to make an independent decision to return to Mexico.

Most children have more than one reason for leaving their country. Out of 102 Mexican children interviewed:

• 80 percent talked about their desire to reunite with family, study, help their families or purse other opportunities.

• 32 percent spoke of inescapable violence wrought by the drug cartels.

• 17 percent disclosed abuse in the home.

• 64 percent of the children from Mexico interviewed were found to be in potential need of international protection.

Source: "Children on the Run," UNHCR monitoring report

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