Shocking Rise: 1,200+ Migrant Kids Flood Quintana Roo in 2024

Quintana Roo, a state in Mexico, experienced a significant increase in child migration between 2023 and 2024. More than 1,200 migrant children arrived in the state in 2024 alone, according to Armando García, Child Protection Officer and federal agent in charge of administrative offices for the Care of Children and Adolescents (NNA) in Solidaridad.

Last week, a meeting of the Comprehensive Protection System for Children and Adolescents (Sipinna) was held in Playa del Carmen. The goal of the meeting was to establish comprehensive care routes that ensure the human rights of migrant children, including those who are unaccompanied.

García noted that of the 1,266 migrant children who arrived in Quintana Roo in 2024, 3 percent were unaccompanied. The children primarily originated from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela, and Colombia. Out of the total number, 400 cases were recorded in Solidaridad, accounting for 31.5 percent of the total.

Yamile Domínguez, executive secretary of Sipinna in Solidaridad, emphasized that the meeting aimed to define key agreements for the protection of migrant children and adolescents. This includes assigning specific responsibilities to each institution and creating an inter-institutional care mechanism focused on providing support to those in need.

Domínguez further highlighted the ongoing efforts to guarantee the rights of children and adolescents under the guidance of municipal president Estefanía Mercado. "Although Quintana Roo is not a state with high rates of migration, we do encounter cases of migrant children," she said.

Among the agreements reached at the meeting, it was decided that the DIF System, in coordination with various areas, will be responsible for ensuring the education and healthy development of minors. Civil Protection will assume responsibility for the security of the shelter in Puerto Aventuras, which is designated to assist accompanied children.

These agreements will be presented to the Municipal Commission of Sipinna and later to the Cabildo for approval and implementation. The meeting was attended by various councilors, directors, secretaries, and delegates, all committed to ensuring the protection and welfare of migrant children and adolescents.