UNICEF USA Statement on the End of Title 42
As Title 42 ends, efforts to expand legal and safe pathways for migration for children and families must continue; migrating children and families must be kept safe from harm and their rights upheld.
NEW YORK, NY (May 12, 2023) – UNICEF USA welcomes the lift of Title 42, which expelled more than 300,000 asylum-seeking children and family members in the three years it was in effect. We encourage the U.S. Government to ensure that all refugees and asylum-seeking children and families, regardless of nationality, be provided regular immigration processing, including access to asylum.
As the U.S. Government continues efforts to expand legal and safe pathways for migration for children and families in need, UNICEF USA stresses that children should never be returned to situations where their basic safety and well-being are at risk. We call on the U.S. Government to uphold access to safe territory for asylum-seeking children and to ensure a child-sensitive reception, care, and services system that safeguards children’s rights and well-being.
Every child has the right to survive and thrive regardless of their migration status. Their rights do not stop at our borders.
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About UNICEF
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to pursue a more equitable world for every child. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.
UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by rallying the American public to support the world’s most vulnerable children. Together, we are working toward a world that upholds the rights of all children and helps every child thrive. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.
For more information please contact:
Jenna Buraczenski, UNICEF USA, (917) 720-1432, jburaczenski@unicefusa.org