Children in Migration

• Antman, F. M. (2011). International Migration and Gender Discrimination Among Children Left Behind. The American Economic Review, 101(3), 645–649. Available at: http://www.jstor.org.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/stable/29783822

This article demonstrates how parental migration can significantly affect children’s lives and long-term outcomes. It examines cases in which the migration of the male parental figure leaves mothers and children behind, potentially increasing the mother’s bargaining power and improving health outcomes for girls, while outcomes for boys may differ. Focusing primarily on migration from Mexico to the United States, this source is useful for understanding narratives in which children are left behind and how their health and well-being are affected.

• Chan, E. Y. Y., et al. (2009). Mental Health of Migrant Children: An Overview of the Literature. International Journal of Mental Health, 38(3), 44–52. Available at: http://www.jstor.org.proxy.bib.uottawa.ca/stable/41345292

This article discusses health risks associated with different types of migration, including transnational and internal migration, legal and illegal migration, and voluntary and involuntary migration. The authors emphasize that migrant children are a particularly vulnerable subgroup during both the migration process and arrival in the host country. They often face barriers related to language, culture, socioeconomic status, and legal status, and may experience family separation, loss of emotional support, or placement in state care. This source is helpful for understanding characters in plays that address child migration, such as Abi Morgan’s Fugee.

• Arnold, S., & Heiderhoff, B. (Eds.). (2025). Children in Migration and International Family Law: The Child’s Best Interests Principle at the Interface of Migration Law and Family Law. Springer.

This edited collection contains twenty chapters based on a two-year research project conducted by several European universities beginning in January 2023. The project, titled “Families on the Move,” was co-funded by the European Commission. The volume offers valuable methodological insights and includes eight case studies across seven European Union jurisdictions. It is useful for research methodology and for playwrights seeking detailed case studies to inform work on children in migration.

• Gornik, B., et al. (Eds.). (2017). Unaccompanied Children in European Migration and Asylum Practices: In Whose Best Interests? 1st ed. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315639888

This edited volume examines the situation of unaccompanied minors in Europe. According to Eurostat data from 2016, nearly 90,000 asylum seekers applying for international protection were identified as unaccompanied minors. The book discusses how the “best interests principle” is used as a guiding framework within European institutions, including the European Council, European Commission, and European Parliament. This source is valuable for understanding the everyday challenges faced by unaccompanied minors and for analyzing plays that address migration themes.

• Jud, A., et al. (2020). Epidemiology of Violence against Children in Migration: A Systematic Literature Review. Child Abuse & Neglect, 108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104634

This article draws on UNICEF data from 2015, noting that of the 244 million people living outside their country of origin, 31 million were children. The authors define “children in migration” as both accompanied and unaccompanied minors, including asylum seekers, refugees, and internally displaced persons. A key theme is the “cycle of violence” experienced by these children, including exposure to war, police brutality, community violence, and abuse from family members, communities, or strangers. This article is useful for understanding the lived realities of migrant children and can support analysis of plays such as Abi Morgan’s Fugee, particularly in relation to trauma and ongoing violence.

• Donato, K. M., & Perez, S. L. (2017). Crossing the Mexico-U.S. Border: Illegality and Children’s Migration to the United States. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 3(4), 116–135.

Donato and Perez argue that child migration remains insufficiently understood. They examine increasing numbers of children migrating to the United States around 2015, many of whom were unaccompanied and in need of humanitarian protection. The authors identify three primary drivers of migration: violence, family, and economic opportunity. They also discuss the impact of the Great Recession and U.S. policy measures, including the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, on migration patterns. This article provides a theoretical framework for understanding child migration from Mexico to the United States and is useful for analyzing plays that address this topic.

• McLeigh, J. D. (2013). Protecting Children in the Context of International Migration: Children in Migration Require Greater Protection from Violence, Exploitation, and Discrimination. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37(12), 1056–1068.

McLeigh examines the risks associated with child migration, a field that has gained attention primarily in the last two decades. She argues that children are at risk of human rights violations throughout the migration process, regardless of their classification. Children may be affected in various ways: being left behind, migrating with parents, or traveling alone, sometimes with relatives or community members. This article is valuable for understanding the broad spectrum of risks faced by migrant children and can inform analysis of plays focused on migration.

• Ní Laoire, C., et al. (2012). Children and Young People on the Move: Geographies of Child and Youth Migration. Geography, 97(3), 129–134.

This article challenges traditional migration models that focus on adult male migrants and instead emphasizes the role of children within family migration dynamics. It highlights how family decisions are often shaped by children’s needs and how, in some cases, children become “migrant leaders” by moving first, often as students, followed by other family members. Through case studies of migration to Ireland, the article demonstrates the active role children can play in migration processes. This perspective is useful for analyzing plays that explore family and migration themes, such as Carmen Aguirre’s The Refugee Hotel.

• Pruitt, L. J. (2021). Children & Migration: Political Constructions and Contestations. Global Policy, 12(5), 592–602.

Pruitt examines how migrant children are constructed within political discourse. She argues that policies often fail to address the complex needs of children, despite their significant presence among migrant populations. The article critiques narratives suggesting that unaccompanied minors are used to “jump the queue” for asylum, highlighting how such views prioritize national security over children’s welfare. This source is useful for understanding political framings of child migration and can support analysis of plays such as Claire Blayney’s The Container.

• Wedel-Domaradzka, A. (2022). The Right to an Identity: The Context of the Rights of the Migrant Child. In T. Milej et al. (Eds.), Children in Migration: Status and Identity (pp. 13–36). Nomos.

Wedel-Domaradzka explores the concept of the right to identity and emphasizes the vulnerability of migrant children in maintaining a stable sense of self. She identifies three key elements of identity: complexity, understood as self-perception; rationality, understood through relations with others and society; and temporality, understood as the changing nature of identity over time. This framework is particularly useful for analyzing literary and theatrical representations of migrant children, making the chapter a valuable academic resource for this field.