Migrant Children and Human Trafficking in Colombia: Situation of Children and Adolescents from Venezuela

Abstract

The objective of this article is to propose recommendations to strengthen the protection of children and adolescents in Colombia coming from Venezuela, especially in the face of the risk of human trafficking. We start with a description and analysis of the situation, as well as with a reflection on some legal instruments and their developments. For this purpose, we employed a qualitative documentary method of compilation, selection, and analysis of international and national sources. The numbers found indicate that migrant children and adolescents are more vulnerable to the unfulfillment of their human rights, particularly to human trafficking, which consists of capturing, transporting, transferring, accommodating, or receiving human beings intending to exploit them for sexual purposes, for servitude or forced labor, among others. We also identified the legal instruments, authorities, and international, national, and regional institutions, in addition to the standards of the universal and inter-American human rights systems, which determine the procedures for the protection of human beings, especially the migrant childhood. In the conclusion, we present four recommendations for the comprehensive and effective protection of the children and adolescents coming from Venezuela in Colombia regarding the problem described: i) the creation and improvement of information spaces about the fundamental rights of the children and adolescents, above all considering the responsibility of the Colombian State, the family, and society; ii) the strengthening of the Inter-agency Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons, as well as the committees in departments, districts, and municipalities; iii) the strengthening of the joint work between the Colombian State and others as to the creation of spaces for the dissemination, action, appropriation, projection and incidence, and iv) the reinforcement of the educational and health systems.