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"dignified inclusion"
protecting and promoting the rights of 500 migrant children and adolescents in oaxaca and jalisco
mexico
2020-2023
about
AVSI Mexico, with Dignity and Justice on the Road A.C. and FM4 Paso Libre Shelter, implements the project “Dignified Inclusion: Protecting and Promoting the Rights of 500 Migrants Children and Adolescents in Oaxaca and Jalisco” with funding from the European Union.
goal
The project’s goal is to improve migrant children and adolescents’ situation in Mexico through public dialogue. AVSI Mexico will guarantee that children and adolescents’ rights are protected when they stay in shelters and reception centers by designing, implementing, and disseminating an Alternative Care Model that considers their specific needs. AVSI Mexico will also promote a national and international dialogue about the importance of protecting migrant children and adolescents’ rights.
Challenges
In the last three years, the flow of migrant children and adolescents who travel across Mexico to reach the United States has dramatically increased. In the first months of 2019, the FM4 Paso Libre Shelter received 562 migrant children and adolescents, 95% more than the total number of children and adolescents accepted in 2018.
For the Latin American migrant community, Mexico has always been considered a country of “transit”; a quick stop before the final destination. However, now shelters have become places where migrants stay for extended periods, around 6-8 months, due to various reasons including changes in immigration laws between the United States and Mexico, and the fact that the National Institute of Migration is not able to cope with the increasing number of asylum requests.
response
The project will generate a strong link between public and private actors, nationally and internationally, which will be a crucial factor in the promotion of models and protocols focused on the Human Rights of child migrants in Mexico. The project will help restore the dignity and foster the social inclusion of children and adolescents during their stay so that they can feel a little closer to home, and at the same time, have a real and humane experience.
The project has four components:
- Design and implement an Alternative Care Model which focuses on children and adolescents’ needs in shelters and reception centers and considers their best interests.
- Improve the four shelter and reception center conditions while supporting Human Rights attorneys through the Alternative Care Model to make sure all migrants’ rights are protected
- Create awareness about migrant children and adolescents’ current situation among schools, civil society, and the public, highlighting their essential role in the local communities
- Involve relevant public and private actors nationally and internationally in the promotion of models and protocols designed to protect the Human Rights of migrant children and adolescents in Mexico
beneficiaries
- 500 migrant children and adolescents – 330 in the State of Jalisco and 200 in the State of Oaxaca
- Four shelters and reception centers
- 120 immigration attorneys
- 16 public and private schools, and institutions interested in child development