Plight of migrant children in South Africa
Joint statement by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and UNICEF on the plight of migrant children in South Africa
Geneva/Nairobi, 30 June 2026 - The Committee on the Rights of the Child and UNICEF express their deep concern regarding the plight of migrant children in South Africa and the challenges they face while moving across the African continent.
As enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, every child has the right to protection, care and essential services, and these rights must be upheld at every stage of their journey. Children face heightened risks of violence, exploitation, neglect, family separation, trafficking and psychological distress, particularly when movements are sudden, undocumented and uncoordinated. This is a shared regional responsibility to meet the duty of care owed to every child, irrespective of their migration status or the circumstances of their arrival.
We appreciate the measures taken so far by governments and local authorities to protect the rights of children, and we reaffirm our commitment to work together in strengthening inclusive child protection systems that safeguard the best interests of every child. Child-sensitive, rights-based cross-border cooperation and referral mechanisms are critical to ensuring continuity of protection, timely case management, access to mental health and psychosocial support, and safe family tracing and reunification.
Continued access to essential services, including healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene, is particularly important for pregnant women, mothers with newborns, and other vulnerable groups at borders and transit locations.
Efforts to facilitate civil registration and identity documentation are also vital to reducing the protection risks faced by children and families who are being returned.
UNICEF is mobilizing to support national governments and partners in enabling access to these services. Children must remain visible and prioritized throughout the migration response. Children on the move are children first and foremost.
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