Source: Minister decries rise in irregular child migration -Newsday Zimbabwe
PUBLIC Service minister Edgar Moyo has raised alarm over a surge in irregular migration flows involving children, warning that this exposes minors to abuse, exploitation and trafficking.
Speaking at the official launch yesterday of the Multi-Partner Trust Fund project titled Strengthening Protection, Safety and Wellbeing of Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children in Zimbabwe, Moyo said Zimbabwe occupied a complex position in regional migration patterns.
The project is being implemented under a US$2,4 million Multi-Partner Trust Fund supported by Unicef and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in partnership with the government of Zimbabwe.
“On issues of migration, Zimbabwe serves as a country of origin, transit and destination for migrant populations in southern Africa,” he said.
“As a country, we have seen a significant rise in mixed and irregular migration flows, including unaccompanied and separated migrant children transiting through our borders.”
The minister said the trust fund initiative was designed to strengthen national child protection systems in line with constitutional obligations.
He cited the newly-amended Children’s Act [Chapter 5:06], which broaden the definition of a child in need of care and protection to include unaccompanied and separated migrant children.
He said the initiative also dovetailed with existing frameworks including the National Policy for the Care and Protection of Children Without Parental Care, the National Case Management System on the Welfare of Children in Zimbabwe and the recently approved National Action Plan for Children (IV).
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Child Member of Parliament Mutsawashe Mafusire called for urgent action to address the plight of children on the move, particularly those lacking birth certificates.
Mafusire also called for an end to the detention of children based on migration status and urged authorities to establish child-friendly reception
centres.
“No child should ever be held in a police cell because of their migration status. We need child-friendly reception centres, not bars,” she said.
She further appealed for cross-border co-operation between Zimbabwe and South Africa to end child trafficking.
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