Forced Migration and Immigration Programs for Children: The Emergence of a Social Movement

This article examines two historical forced migration programs for children: the Orphan Trains in the United States and the British Child Migrant Programme, which operated between the mid-1800s and mid-1900s. These programs forcibly relocated homeless and abandoned children from urban centers with no plan for family reunification. The document argues that the harmful consequences of these programs became publicly recognized and significantly influenced the development of the global child welfare movement and children's rights advocacy.

Key points

• Homeless and abandoned children emerged as a social problem in urban centers due to industrialisation, urbanisation, and mass migrations
• Children were labeled as dangerous and threatening to social order, prompting interventions through forced migration and immigration programs
• Two main programs examined: the Orphan Trains (United States) and the British Child Migrant Programme
• These programs operated with no plan or intention of family reunification
• The harmful consequences of these programs had a profound impact on the emergence of the global child welfare movement and children's rights concerns

Limitations

The document is a historical analysis and does not provide systematic empirical data on outcomes or numbers of children affected. It does not detail specific harms or offer comparative analysis of alternative approaches that may have existed at the time.