ABSTRACT
Article 27 reiterates the importance of adopting a holistic approach to development in the context of children, recognising that their psychosocial development needs are as important as their economic and material needs. This chapter argues that the promotion of parental migration for employment by States has two consequences. The first is that it inappropriately shifts the entire burden of providing for children’s material needs to parents who have limited alternatives to migration in the face of poverty and un- or under-employment. The second is that temporary labour migration (TLM) completely ignores the potential impact of prolonged parental absence on children’s psychosocial development and well-being. The chapter considers the significance of a child’s age and capacity in relation to understanding their development needs and how they may be impacted by parental migration. Labour-sending countries have publicly recognised the potential risks to children’s psychosocial well-being arising from their parents’ migration for TLM.
