Unaccompanied minor

An unaccompanied minor (sometimes "unaccompanied child" or "separated child") is a child without the presence of a legal guardian.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child defines unaccompanied minors and unaccompanied children as those "who have been separated from both parents and other relatives and are not being cared for by an adult who, by law or custom, is responsible for doing so." The Committee defines separated children as those "who have been separated from both parents, or from their previous legal or customary primary care-giver, but not necessarily from other relatives. These may, therefore, include children accompanied by other adult family members."^[1]

The number of unaccompanied minors increased drastically from 16,067 to 68,541 during 2011 to 2014.^[2]

^ Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No.6 (2005), par. 7 and 8
^ Braaten, Daniel; Braaten, Claire Nolasco (2021). "Children seeking asylum: Determinants of asylum claims by unaccompanied minors in the United States from 2013 to 2017". Law & Policy. 43 (2): 97–125. doi:10.1111/lapo.12165. ISSN 0265-8240.

[1] Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No.6 (2005), par. 7 and 8

[2] Braaten, Daniel; Braaten, Claire Nolasco (2021). "Children seeking asylum: Determinants of asylum claims by unaccompanied minors in the United States from 2013 to 2017". Law & Policy. 43 (2): 97–125. doi:10.1111/lapo.12165. ISSN 0265-8240.

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