Migrating children crossing Mexico on their way to the United States face violence, exclusion, and uncertainty, revealed a study by Save the Children and Plan International. According to the report, based on 155 interviews between November 2024 and February 2025, minors fleeing danger in their countries do not find safety or protection, but new forms of vulnerability.
The interviewees, aged between seven and 16, predominantly from Mexico, Honduras, and Venezuela, reported experiences of fear and loss of time during their journey through Mexico. The number of unaccompanied children on this journey has been increasing, reaching 137,275 in 2023 from 69,488 in 2019, due to violence, poverty, and displacement caused by climate change.
Save the Children and Plan International called on authorities to ensure the protection of the rights of migrant children. Recently, the deportation of three American citizen children to Honduras, including one with cancer, has sparked criticism from human rights activists questioning the lack of a formal process and the risk to the children's lives.
Reena Ghelani, Executive Director of Plan International, emphasized the urgency of providing support to these children, highlighting the need for protection, access to safe shelter, education, and mental health care. Concern for the situation of these minors is evident, especially considering that many families are so desperate that the children may be forced to return to places they fled in search of safety.
