Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve-Victoria Falls Reporter
ZIMBABWE is championing a multi-faceted approach to protecting migrant children, transforming them from overlooked statistics into children officially recognised as in need of care and protection, the Government has revealed.
The new paradigm was announced by the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Kazembe Kazembe, during the official opening of the Migration Dialogue for Southern Africa (MIDSA) in Victoria Falls on Monday.
Minister Kazembe stated that the comprehensive national strategy integrates legislative reform, cross-border cooperation, and community engagement to uphold the best interests of the child in all aspects of migration governance.
“We cannot discuss migration without acknowledging the growing impact of climate change, which is one of the key drivers of displacement that pushes families and children to move. In Zimbabwe and much of Southern Africa, environmental pressures are compelling people, particularly in rural areas, to migrate in search of better opportunities,” said the Minister.
It is within this complex reality that the phenomenon of children on the move has emerged.
“These are children who migrate independently or with families, whether voluntarily or forcibly, in search of safety, education, reunification, or economic opportunity,” said Minister Kazembe.
Given its strategic location, Zimbabwe serves as a country of origin, transit, and destination for these unaccompanied and separated minors.
Minister Kazembe emphasised that the region must not shy away from confronting the vulnerabilities these children face.
“As children migrate, they are susceptible to exploitation, abuse, trafficking, and lack of access to basic services,” he told the assembly of regional ministers, officials, and international partners. There is, therefore, a need to join hands and develop strategies to enhance child-sensitive migration governance.”
The Government’s response has been to establish a robust legal and operational framework to safeguard these children.
Minister Kazembe said that Zimbabwe is guided by a suite of legislative instruments, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), and its own domestic law.
“A key milestone in this endeavour is the amendment of the Children’s Act [Chapter 5:06]. This critical legislative update has formally redefined children on the move as children in need of care and protection — a legal designation that triggers a stronger mandate for state intervention and support,” he said.
Beyond legislation, Zimbabwe has made tangible progress on the ground through proactive regional diplomacy.
The establishment of cross-border coordination mechanisms with neighbouring countries has been pivotal.
“Zimbabwe has made significant progress through the establishment of cross-border coordination mechanisms with neighbouring countries for the Identification, Documentation, Tracing and Reunification (IDTR) of unaccompanied and separated migrant children,” he said.
