Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes Migrantes en México: Vulnerabilidad, Marco Normativo y Brechas en su Protección

Abstract

Abstract:
Migration, a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, takes on a particularly delicate dimension when it involves children and adolescents. In Mexico, migrant children face multiple challenges that enhance their vulnerability, ranging from violence and poverty to administrative barriers and complications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a robust legal framework, such as the General Law on the Rights of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents and recent reforms to the Migration Law, significant gaps remain between these norms and their implementation on the ground. Current statistics paint a worrisome scenario: an increase in repatriations from the United States, a high number of minors in irregular migration situations, and the continued detention of children and adolescents in migration stations despite legal prohibitions. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the current situation of migrant children in Mexico, examining their vulnerability, the existing legal framework, and the discrepancy between policies and practice. Finally, it offers conclusions, recommendations, and proposals aimed at strengthening legal enforcement, ensuring fundamental rights, and establishing transnational protection mechanisms.