Migrant and Refugee Children and Adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean
Learn why education is important and what we do to ensure everybody can learn
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Our challenges
Poverty, lack of opportunities, conflict and violence, natural disasters and the effects of climate change, among others, drive refugees and migrants out of their home countries in search of a better and safer life. Nonetheless, many face hardships, danger and discrimination along the way, at their destination or once they return.
Providing education to migrant and refugee children and adolescents is one of the most important strategies to protect them physically and emotionally from multiple threats and discrimination.
Despite the region’s prevailing challenges, several countries allow migrant and refugee children and adolescents to enroll in the preschool, primary and secondary levels of the formal education system, regardless of their status.
Hence, since March 2020, children on the move have been seriously affected by school closures and learning disruptions caused by COVID-19. Even though schools have gradually reopened, many migrant and refugee students are still unable to participate in in-person learning.
What do we do?
We focus our efforts on the educational response to migrant, refugee and returnee children, to enable countries to:
- Provide access to quality and inclusive education.
- Collect relevant and updated information and data on children and adolescents on the move.
- Strengthen the capacity of teachers, school staff and education authorities.
- Mobilize fundraising to address the region’s migration and refugee crisis.
UNICEF and the Andrés Bello Agreement work in favour of migrant and refugee children and adolescents’ education
Learn about our country offices' experiences
On #WorldRefugeeDay, migrant children and adolescents tell us how it felt to arrive at a new school in Peru.
