Children, youth and families

This document presents IOM's Protection Division Framework for its specialized protection work and aims to inform its activities globally. The IOM Protection Division is responsible for specialized protection interventions that aim to address protection risks by preventing or responding to actual or potential violations of rights defined by relevant...

The 2024 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, the eighth report mandated by the General Assembly through the 2010 United Nations Global Plan of Action, provides a comprehensive overview of trafficking patterns and flows at global, regional, and national levels. One of the most alarming findings is that children now represent nearly 40% of all...

The document is a comprehensive facilitator's guide for a course aimed at strengthening the technical, analytical, and operational capacities of migration officials in Africa to respect and uphold international human rights principles. ​ It is published by the African Capacity Building Centre (ACBC) and supported by the International Organization for...

The United Nations (UN) stands for a world in which all human beings enjoy the full protection of their human rights without discrimination, ensuring no one is left unprotected. Protection entails addressing risks and harms threatening human life, liberty, and dignity by collaborating with diverse stakeholders to achieve tangible outcomes for vulnerable...

The note addresses the compounded vulnerabilities faced by migrants with diverse SOGIESC. It details the discrimination and violence they encounter, such as physical and sexual abuse, lack of documentation, and inadequate access to essential services. The report also highlights the international human rights standards that protect these individuals...

This information note highlights the essential rights and protections for unaccompanied and separated migrant children. It emphasizes key principles such as non-discrimination, the best interest of the child, and family unity. The document underscores the importance of initial assessments, proper identification, and registration, as well as family tracing...

This information note outlines the legal principles and standards that govern the detention of migrants and the use of non-custodial alternatives. It emphasizes that detention should be a measure of last resort, applied only, when necessary, proportionate, and legally justified. The document highlights the importance of procedural safeguards, such as...

This information note provides a comprehensive overview of the principle of non-refoulement. The document outlines the definition and scope of non-refoulement, emphasizing its application to all migrants regardless of their status. It highlights that non-refoulement is a peremptory norm of customary international law, meaning it is universally binding and...

This information note emphasizes the importance of ensuring that migrants, regardless of their legal status, have meaningful access to justice. It outlines the general principles of access to justice, including non-discrimination, equal and effective access to tribunals, fair proceedings, and the right to an effective remedy. The document highlights the...

Mixed migration flows to Europe are characterized by a sizeable share of children and young adults. The report highlights the vulnerabilities of these young migrants, who are often travelling alone and report higher rates of abuse, exploitation, and violence compared to adults. By examining their diverse profiles and their routes through African, Middle...

Driven by the demand for cheap labor, services, and goods, human trafficking is a crime that exploits vulnerable individuals and generates substantial illegal profits for traffickers. Between 2010 and 2012 alone, authorities in the 28 European Union Member States registered 30,146 victims—though many remain hidden from official detection. People fleeing war...

This report presents the findings of a comprehensive study on immigration detention and alternatives to detention (ATD) across 19 countries within the five sub-regions of the Asia-Pacific: East and Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South and Southwest Asia, North and Central Asia, and the Pacific. Across the Asia-Pacific region, there is widespread use of...

The Asia Pacific region plays a critical role in global migration, serving as a hub for migrants in origin, transit, and destination countries, with many nations in the region experiencing all three phases. Migration within and from the region is often driven by various factors, including responses to vulnerability. As such, regional discussions on mobility...

This Information Note is designed to serve as a resource for practitioners dealing with migration detention and non-custodial alternatives to detention (ATDs). It aims to acquaint them with the relevant international instruments and standards that States are required to uphold in this field. The purpose of this Information Note is to provide an overview of...