Designer: Olga Oleszczuk, Shangning Wang, Cecilia Silva Venturini
Adolescents and youth on the move are more vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation than adultsChildren and youth migrating to escape harm or seek a better future find few safe and regular pathways. Regular migration channels – enabled by humanitarian, student or work visas, programmes for family reunification, or refugee resettlement– are limited, and closed to most. This leaves many with little choice but to engage smugglers to help them cross borders.
Adults upon whom children depend to assist them during their journeys – like the smugglers they may hire – may take advantage of their vulnerability. Children may fall victim to abuse and violence, or be trafficked into sexual exploitation or forced labour. Perpetrators range from smugglers and traffickers on the one hand, to border guards, militias or police on the other.
