In the last three years, the flow of migrant children and adolescents who, like Ricardo, travel across Mexico to reach the United States has 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 in 2018.
For the Latin American migrant community, Mexico has always been considered a country of “transit”; a quick stop until the final destination. However, now shelters have become places where migrants stay for longer time periods, around 6-8 months.
To improve the situation of the migrants, AVSI in partnership with two local partners, Dignity and Justice on the Road A.C. and FM4 Paso Libre, and with funds from the European Union, has launched “Dignified Inclusion.” The goal is to support more than 500 migrant children and adolescents, four shelters, 120 human rights lawyers and 16 public and private schools in the states of Oaxaca and Jalisco over the next three years. The intervention includes the design, implementation, and dissemination of an Alternative Care Model for migrant children.