The study aims to comprehensively explore the dynamics of children on the move in Zimbabwe, including both internal migration within the country and trans-border migration, particularly focusing on South Africa. It focuses on push and pull factors and vulnerability, as well as resilience and coping mechanisms. Methodologically, it encompasses a study with unaccompanied migrant children, a desk study of scientific literature on children on the move, a review of stakeholders working with these children, and a policy analysis.
A key objective of this study is to understand the diverse migration routes, exploring the reasons behind the children's movement decisions, the challenges they face, and their coping mechanisms. The study examines the roles of family, friends, and organisations in these migration journeys. It assesses how children perceive their experiences in terms of success or failure, and their perceptions about returning to their place of origin, or their willingness to remain either on the street, in transit, or to find new ways of living in South Africa.
This study analyses the children's ability to make choices and exercise agency. By doing so, it sheds light on the complexities of child migration, addressing the myriad challenges these children face, and underlining the need for comprehensive protection mechanisms. The aim of this study is not only to inform stakeholders but also to build upon and enrich the existing institutional knowledge base. This will facilitate discussions on the effectiveness of current and future interventions and programmes, leading to more targeted strategies reflecting the diversity of the needs among the unaccompanied migrating children.
Key findings from the survey of unaccompanied migrant children
The study on unaccompanied child migrants from Zimbabwe to South Africa, involving 61 children aged 12-19 years, offers comprehensive insight into their experiences and challenges. These children, who were often not living with their biological parents, guardians or significant adults describe living lives that are often marked by harsh realities, including street living or exploitative work. Their migration is driven by various factors: family dysfunction (evidenced by parental death, abandonment, or substance abuse), severe poverty, hunger, and lack of access to appropriate educational opportunities. These push factors, combined with hopes for better life prospects, educational and work opportunities, and the desire to reunite with family or friends, motivated their journey to South Africa.
Economic hardship and educational barriers critically influenced children’s decision to migrate. In Zimbabwe, many children lived without necessities or means to pay school fees, driving them to seek opportunities elsewhere. Additionally, escaping various forms of abuse, including physical, emotional, and neglect, was significant. For some, these pull factors included elements of adventure and a desire to see new places. However, not all children migrated to or across the South African border. Some moved from rural to urban areas within Zimbabwe, aiming for a better future. Among the urban migrants some lacked migration aspirations, knowledge, or funds to continue elsewhere. Those who embarked on the migration journey prepared differently, with some planning thoroughly and others making spontaneous decisions in response to immediate crises. Economic support was often needed to start the journey, and many children required additional income en route.
Experiences of the journey included financial constraints, complex travel logistics, and risky border crossings. Despite these challenges, which often placed the children in vulnerable situations, they demonstrated the ability to find solutions to their immediate challenges. Those who reached South Africa described varied experiences: while some find supportive environments and shelter along the way, others struggled with abuse, exploitation, and poor living conditions. However, these hardships did not automatically render the idea of returning home as the preferable option. Narratives of some of the children articulate that, as long as conditions at home remain poor, the possibility of potentially improving future prospects in South Africa was more appealing than returning to a hopeless situation.
The study identifies three distinct groups of migrant children in the context of Zimbabwe:
- The first group consists of children who migrate from rural areas to urban centers such as Harare or Bulawayo in search of improved economic and social conditions. Many of these children end up living on the streets and develop a range of strategies for survival.
- The second group includes children who establish their more or less permanent residence in the borderlands between Zimbabwe and South Africa. They engage in frequent movements back and forth across the border, demonstrating resilience and adaptability through informal business activities.
- The third group comprises children who embark on the perilous journey across national borders into South Africa, facing various risks and uncertainties in search of a better future.
Two countries with different legal and policy frameworks
Zimbabwe and South Africa have comprehensive legal frameworks for children's rights, including unaccompanied or foreign children. However, these frameworks are not sufficient to meet the specific needs nor adequately address the complex realities of unaccompanied children on the move, leading to limited access to education, healthcare, and social services, and potentially increased vulnerability to unsafe conditions.
Both countries face the challenge of child labour due to poverty. Education is a recognised right in both countries, but unaccompanied children face barriers like school fees in Zimbabwe and documentation issues in South Africa. Health service access is also limited for these children due to documentation problems in South Africa and unclear healthcare policies in Zimbabwe. Social services exist but are not fully accessible to unaccompanied children, especially in South Africa, where they are mostly limited to citizens and asylum seekers, with children requiring involvement of a parent to access services.
Thus, while South Africa and Zimbabwe have laws to protect children, they face challenges in implementing these protections to effectively address the unique challenges faced by unaccompanied children on the move, especially in areas of social protection, education, healthcare, and safe migration.
Diverse needs and recommendations
Being children on the move entails several experiences and needs, shaped by factors like their age, place of origin, and the reasons why they migrated. Younger children might need more nurturing and guidance, while teenagers often look for educational and skill-building opportunities. The backgrounds and lived experiences reported by children influenced how they find ways to adapt to the journey and what they need. For example, children escaping violence and abuse may have different emotional and psychological needs compared to the children migrating for economic reasons. This diversity highlights the importance of understanding and responding to the children based on the circumstances they face. It is also worth noting that children's ability to devise solutions is shaped by a constrained scope for action. Consequently, children often make decisions within a limited timeframe, focusing on resolving their immediate situation. As a result, long-term planning is frequently beyond their capability in such environments.
There is no easy one-size-fits-all solution for the unaccompanied migrating children, and the approach is challenged by different legal frameworks across the borders. For stakeholders working with child migrants, adopting a universal approach to assistance might therefore not be effective. What might be needed are adapted interventions that consider the individual backgrounds and experiences of each child. These plans could encompass educational support tailored to different learning levels and languages, legal assistance to help navigate immigration processes, and psychosocial support to address any trauma or stress experienced; for others, it can be to facilitate work-related experiences and part- or full-time work. The aim is to meet the immediate needs of the child migrants while also supporting their long-term development.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the migration of unaccompanied children within and from Zimbabwe to South Africa is a complex phenomenon. Addressing this intricate issue is neither simple nor straightforward. It involves children who come from dire circumstances and necessitates both their protection and empowerment for a better future. Their lives are often influenced by economic disparities, family situations, and limited opportunities at the place of origin. However, the study underscores the children’s ability to adapt to their given circumstances, but also how this needs vary for different children, thus emphasising the need for coordinated policies and interventions to secure their well-being. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of improving legal and policy frameworks in both countries to better protect the rights of undocumented children on the move.
