What’s causing the child refugee crisis?

Catholic Relief Services posted this on its website:

Catholic Relief Services’ Rick Jones, the Deputy Regional Director for Global Solidarity and Justice for Latin American and the Caribbean, testified before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs today on the current spike of unaccompanied Central American children fleeing violence and crossing into other Central American countries and the United States, creating a refugee situation.

In his testimony, Jones states:

Increasing desperation has led many families, youth and children to the inevitable conclusion that they have no choice but to flee. They are primarily fleeing violence, not poverty. They aren’t just coming to the United States; in fact, other Central American countries have experienced a 712% increase in asylum claims between 2008-2013. We are witnessing the results of the drug war and gangs: child refugees.”

And there’s this:

Most of the youth and children arriving on our doorstep are fleeing violence, insecurity and forced recruitment. Although there may still be a percentage of youth among those fleeing whose motive is primarily poverty or family reunification, the skyrocketing numbers are largely due to violence. These youth have no options. They and their families are well aware of the risks of the journey. Five out of seven girls expect to be sexually assaulted on the trek north. Many tell us that they take birth control pills before they leave to avoid getting pregnant if they are raped. It is also well known that smugglers and the drug traffickers kidnap migrants. Research conducted by our Catholic Church partners in 2009 documented over 9,000 kidnappings in the first six months of that year.

Mauricio Gaborit, SJ, Dean of the Psychology program at the Jesuit University of El Salvador, uses the following analogy: “Families and young people know that migration is a long, dark dangerous tunnel. But it is a tunnel. Here they live in a cul-de-sac.” That cul-de-sac is not only devoid of educational and economic opportunities but is ever more dangerous because narco-trafficking and gang
activities have taken over more and more areas. As one mother from Honduras told us, I would rather my child die trying to find life in the north than die sitting here.

Read Rick Jones’ full testimony