- Title: MEXICO-CHILDREN Amnesty calls for end to detention of child migrants in Mexico
- Date: 19th November 2014
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (NOVEMBER 19, 2014) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF AMNESTY STAND SIGN THAT READS: "AN END TO THE DETENTION OF CHILD MIGRANTS" VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SIGNING PETITION LEAFLET THAT READS: "ACT NOW!" WOMAN SIGNING PETITION DRAWING WITH TEXT THAT READS: "ABUSE, KIDNAPPING AND EXTORTION" VANESSA MARTINEZ, PROGRAMME OFFICER AT THE INTERNATIONAL DETENTION COALITION (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VANESSA MARTINEZ, PROGRAMME OFFICER AT THE INTERNATIONAL DETENTION COALITION, SAYING: "Here in Mexico in 2013, more than 9,000 children and teenagers were detained because of their irregular migrant situation or because of that of their parents or guardians. This year, that figure has reached 17,322 children and teenagers. Nearly 40 percent of those were under 14 years of age." CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VANESSA MARTINEZ, PROGRAMME OFFICER AT THE INTERNATIONAL DETENTION COALITION, SAYING: "At the moment, Amnesty International is handing over more than 32,000 signatures in a petition directed at Mexico's President and also the presidents of the region in Central America and the United States to make a call to put an end to the detention of child migrants." MORE OF PEOPLE SIGNING PETITION GENERAL VIEW OF STAND IN MIDDLE OF STREET
- Embargoed: 4th December 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Mexico
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAC18LDTLCHCQ5DBBNPGZKAD8R4
- Story Text: Amnesty International handed over a petition to stop child migrant detentions on Wednesday (November 19), marking the 25th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Convention, an international treaty adopted by the United Nations in 1989, aims to protect children around the globe.
Vanessa Martinez from the International Detention Coalition, which joined in the calls to collect more signatures in Mexico City on Wednesday, said the petition was aimed at Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, as well as the governments of the United States and Central American nations.
Martinez said the number of children detained has nearly doubled so far this year from 2013 numbers, with almost half travelling unaccompanied.
"Here in Mexico in 2013, more than 9,000 children and teenagers were detained because of their irregular migrant situation or because of that of their parents or guardians. This year, that figure has reached 17,322 children and teenagers. Nearly 40 percent of those were under 14 years of age," Martinez said.
"At the moment, Amnesty International is handing over more than 32,000 signatures in a petition directed at Mexico's President and also the presidents of the region in Central America and the United States to make a call to put an end to the detention of child migrants," Martinez added.
Amnesty International as well as other social organisations have said child detentions created great stress and suffering in children, denouncing it as a human rights violation.
More than 36,000 signatures were finally collected.
On November 14, Washington announced it would allow some children in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to apply for refugee status from their home countries, in a bid to stem an exodus of undocumented migrants to the U.S. border through Mexico.
The program only applies to children whose parents are legal residents of the United States. But Washington said it should provide an alternative for children making the "harrowing" journey alone from Central America in order to join their parents.
The arrival of tens of thousands of illegal migrants from the three countries - including more than 60,000 children travelling without parents - caused widespread alarm in the United States this summer, and problems for President Barack Obama as he pushed for sweeping immigration reforms.
A White House proposal for an additional $300 million for Central America, which would double current U.S. commitments to the region, fell flat in Congress this summer.
Many conservative Republicans insist Washington should deal with Central American migration mainly by excluding undocumented newcomers.
But other lawmakers have been supportive of such a refugee program, saying it would offer some children a safe and legal way to leave countries struggling with poverty and some of the world's highest murder rates.
It is unclear how much impact the plan, which begins in December, would have on the current migration situation, given a 4,000-person quota for refugee applications from all of Latin America.
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