WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st May, 2020) Unaccompanied migrant children sent back from the United States to Mexico and the countries in Central America face risks in their communities as well as violence and discrimination because of the the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a release on Thursday.
"Since early March, at least 1,000 unaccompanied migrant children have been returned from the United States to Mexico and northern Central America - El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras - despite serious protection risks in their communities of origin aggravated by COVID-19," UNICEF said. "Over the same period, at least 447 migrant children were returned from Mexico to Guatemala and Honduras."
UNICEF warned that acts of violence and discrimination are being perpetrated against returnees perceived to have been infected with the novel coronavirus and face major protection risks during their reintegration.
Limited public information about the novel coronavirus has prompted confusion and fear among both returnees and the general population, the release said.
"In some communities, there are worries that children and families returned from the US and Mexico could be carrying the virus," it explained. "This has led to further stigmatization of migrants. UNICEF has received reports of communities in Guatemala and Honduras barring physical entry to outside groups or strangers, including returnees, to prevent local transmission of the disease."
UNICEF pointed out there have been reports of threats to returning migrants as well as intimidation and attacks.
"In the context of COVID-19, the capacity of child protection systems in northern Central America and Mexico has also been compromised due to movement restrictions and the lack of protective personal equipment (PPE) for staff," the release said. "Unfortunately, this also limits the protection screenings provided to returned unaccompanied children that could reveal threats to their lives and integrity in their homes or communities of origin, including violence."
UNICEF has urged all governments to stop deportations of unaccompanied or separated children, as well as children with their families without first providing them adequate protection and health screenings and safeguarding their right to asylum.
