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New IOM, UNICEF Survey Explores the Impact of Migration on Children and Adolescents in Guatemala

The new Survey on Remittances 2010: Protecting Children and
Adolescents, the ninth in this IOM series in Guatemala and the
second jointly produced with UNICEF, confirms the impact migration
has on family members left behind.

Although remittances allow families to cover their basic needs,
send children to school, buy land, start small businesses and grow
their savings, the study found that when one or both parents
migrate the family dynamics change, including changes in behaviour
of those left behind, especially amongst children and
adolescents. 

The study found that minors who are left under the care of elder
siblings, grandparents or other extended family, develop
insecurities and at times irrational behaviour and can be subject
to different forms of abuse.

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"/jahia/webdav/site/myjahiasite/shared/shared/mainsite/graphics/interface/icons_buttons/blue_link_box.gif"> "/jahia/webdav/shared/shared/mainsite/media/docs/reports/Guatemala-2010-migrant-remittance-survey.pdf"
onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/pubdocs');"
target="_blank" title="">Encuesta sobre Remesas 2010,
Protección de la Niñez y Adolescencia

But the need to search for better economic opportunities and
find employment was the driving force for 86.7 per cent of the 1.6
million Guatemalan migrants living abroad; 97 per cent of them are
in the United States.

The 2010 IOM / UNICEF Remittance Survey also confirmed that 640
girls aged between 10 and 14 are heads of household and ultimately
responsible for their younger siblings.

"This is an alarming reality.  We hope that the data
compiled by IOM and UNICEF will serve as a valuable tool for the
government, civil society and international organizations to raise
awareness and design public policies to protect the millions of
children and adolescents directly impacted by migration," explains
Delbert Field, IOM Chief of Mission in Guatemala.  

The latest remittance survey, carried out in November-December
2010 and which included 3,000 remittance-receiving households,
confirmed that 1.4 million Guatemalans sent USD 4.4 billion in
remittances to their families; more than 65 per cent of them sent
regular monthly remittances averaging USD 283.

More than 15 per cent of recipients interviewed said they have
been receiving remittances 15 years or longer.

"Year after year, the IOM survey has confirmed that Guatemalan
migrants are committed to their families, and their remittances are
an expression of this commitment.  Another measure of the
strong family ties that exist in Guatemala are the more than nine
million telephone calls placed each month," adds Field.

More than 74 per cent of families with one member or more
outside the country stay connected through mobile telephones; 8.7
per cent stay connected via the Internet. 

A full copy of the survey in Spanish is available at "paragraph-link-no-underline" href=
"/jahia/webdav/shared/shared/mainsite/media/docs/reports/Guatemala-2010-migrant-remittance-survey.pdf"
onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/pubdocs');"
target="_blank">www.iom.int. 

For more information please contact:

Karla Villamar

IOM Guatemala

Tel: +502 2362-8367 to 70

E-mail: "mailto:kvillamar@iom.int">kvillamar@iom.int