In Mexico, all children who enter or remain in the country as irregular migrants are at risk of being deprived of their liberty and held in immigration detention centers ( estaciones migratorias).
The provision in the 2011 Migration Law to refer unaccompanied migrant children to the State child welfare institution has proved complex in its implementation. So much so that in 2015, 35,704 children and adolescents were detained for migration purposes.
However, that same year, in light of new legislation on the rights of all children, Mexican immigration authorities, the International Detention Coalition, SOS Children’s Villages Mexico, and Covenant House Mexico formed a working group to jointly explore alternatives for unaccompanied migrant children.
This brochure details the outcomes of the pilot project.