Unaccompanied children: risks and violence along the migration route through Mexico

The northern border of Mexico is marked by a particularly intricate migration dynamic, characterised by two interconnected phenomena: forced internal displacement due to violence and the transit of foreign populations, originating in contexts of insecurity and unmet opportunities.

Such movements impact women, children and youth (CAY) in diverse ways, as well as Indigenous communities, who encounter both criminal risks – including territorial control by armed groups, community conflicts, and gender-based violence – and structural risks derived from restrictive migration policies at both national and international levels.

In this context, thousands of children and youth embark on a journey through Mexico each year, either alone or accompanied, in pursuit of protection, family reunification or improved living conditions. The executive summary presents the key findings of research conducted by Plan International Mexico and Save the Children Mexico in collaboration with the Human Rights Program of the Universidad Iberoamericana CDMX .