Pope asks special protection of children forced to leave their homes

Recalling that 27 September is the date established by the Catholic Church as World Refugee and Migrant Day, the Pope dedicated a special remembrance “to children who are forced to leave their homeland”.

In statements made in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican after his weekly audience, Leo XIV said that children are the most vulnerable migrants and that, therefore, everyone must take responsibility for getting involved so that minors can always be protected.

“ Children and adolescents often suffer unspeakable difficulties, violence, torture, exploitation and traumatic situations, and it is not uncommon for them to lose their lives on migration routes,” said the American pontiff.

In his final message dedicated to migrants, Leo XIV stated that “public and private institutions have an obligation to place the protection and dignity of each migrant child and adolescent at the center”, promoting family reunification and preventing the traumas of separation, such as repatriation.

“ A change of perspective is urgent: the focus of the debate must move from mere management of migratory flows to the full and immediate protection of human rights, adopting a coordinated, supportive and effective response, capable of guaranteeing protection, reception and real opportunities for integration to migrants,” he added.

This is not the first time the Pope has called for special attention to migrant children.

After the Ceuta crisis in late July, when 70,000 people from Morocco, many of them children and young people, entered the Spanish enclave of North Africa illegally, Leo XIV asked the authorities and relief professionals to privilege the protection and dignity of migrant children.

Institutions need to “put the protection and dignity of each child and adolescent in the center [of concerns],” he said.

The overall scenario of child migration has deteriorated considerably in recent years due to the outbreak of new armed conflicts, climate crises and economic instability.

The Emergency Watchlist report 2026 (Emergency Surveillance List of 2026), published last December by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to identify the 20 countries with the greatest risk of new humanitarian crises or worsening existing emergencies, classified the current panorama as a “New Global Disorder”, in which children suffer disproportionately.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), one in four victims of human trafficking is a child.

According to the organization, there are more than 125,000 victims of human trafficking worldwide, a number that should be much higher since there is widespread underreporting and gaps in detection.

“ Millions of children on the move face increased risks of exploitation and trafficking, but often remain invisible in global policies and protection systems,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope in a message released in February.