Abstract
This article presents a tentative analysis of 30 years of academic research in the field of children’s rights and migration (1989–2019). Much research has addressed the plight of unaccompanied, refugee and asylum-seeking children, trying better to link children’s rights considerations with international refugee law. Many publications address the best interests of the child principle and the right to be heard. Most research focuses on (migration towards) Europe. This has led to an increased visibility and recognition of children’s rights in the context of migration. However, there are still various blind spots in the research reviewed. Most research focuses on some children, but not all (e.g., accompanied children), on some rights, but not all (e.g., economic, social and cultural rights), and on some types of migration, but not all (e.g., economic migration). Moreover, refugee and migrant children tend to be studied as a group, which risks reducing attention for their internal diversity.
Highlights
Migration is the field par excellence where children’s rights come face to face with the sovereignty of states, in particular their prerogative to decide on the entry, residence and expulsion of non-nationals
This article presents a tentative analysis of 30 years of research in the field of children’s rights and migration (1989–2019)
Much research has addressed the plight of unaccompanied, refugee and asylum-seeking children, trying better to link children’s rights considerations with international refugee law
Summary
Migration is the field par excellence where children’s rights come face to face with the sovereignty of states, in particular their prerogative to decide on the entry, residence and expulsion of non-nationals. The conclusions presented in this paper draw on a review of scientific publications in English on children’s rights in the context of migration.. The conclusions presented in this paper draw on a review of scientific publications in English on children’s rights in the context of migration.2 This methodological choice does not include reports from international and non- governmental organisations and think tanks as well as publications in other languages. A systematic search of key international journals in the fields of children’s (rights) studies, asylum and migration was carried out. The analysis shows that the studies reviewed are for a large part undertaken from a legal perspective This domination of legal approaches can probably at least partly be explained because an explicit link with “children’s rights” was a criterion of selection. The article identifies some directions for future research
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