Examines the special circumstances of unaccompanied, or separated, migrant children from the standpoint of both legal liabilities and unique vulnerabilities. General migration procedures have not proven adequate to meet the needs of these children. The article provides historical background on international law with respect to child migrants; reviews relevant principles of international law, such as nondiscrimination and the right to respect for family life; discusses the importance of child-specific refugee protections; and examines the expanding, illegal businesses of smuggling and trafficking in children and the absence of effective measures to combat this trade. Child migrants, whether asylum seekers, smuggled or trafficked persons, or dependents seeking family reunification, remain disadvantaged by comparison with their adult counterparts. These children have fewer avenues to formal legal procedures to secure permanent status than do adults, despite the concerns expressed about the need for protective intervention. The conclusion is that children need to become the focus of migration policy, not an afterthought.
