Protecting Children Affected by Migration: Expanded Lessons from the ASEAN Regional Programme and Global Policy Implications

Abstract

This expanded paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the UNICEF regional programme focused on Children Affected by Migration (CAM) in ASEAN countries. Drawing upon the robust Situation Analysis on Children Affected by Migration in ASEAN Member States (SitAn),published in 2023, this report integrates findings from five years of policy implementation and research across eight countries: Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Each section has been expanded to explore in greater depth the policy frameworks, institutional reforms, regional cooperation mechanisms, and service delivery innovations piloted across ASEAN. Special attention is paid to how national child protection systems were reformed to include migrant children, how alternatives to immigration detention were developed and sustained, and how regional plans like the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action (RPA) drove normative and institutional change. The paper also includes updated developments from 2023 to 2025, highlighting new national legislation, regional policy diffusion, and the growing impact of climate-induced migration on children’s mobility. In its conclusion, the paper offers recommendations applicable to other world regions, arguing that the ASEAN experience offers a scalable, rights-based model for protecting migrant children globally.