Children and Youth Voices on Migration, Civil Registration and Vital Statistics

This report presents the voices of 69 children—33 girls and 36 boys—aged 14 to 17 from 10 countries, sharing their experiences and perspectives on migration. Through consultations, they discussed key themes, including the drivers of migration, its impact on children, identity documentation, challenges in civil registration, and recommendations for strengthening civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems. The participating countries were Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

The consultations were conducted online, except for children from Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, who faced connectivity challenges in refugee camps and participated in face-to-face focus group discussions. Facilitated by World Vision International’s South Asia and Pacific and East Asia offices, the process began with a preparatory workshop where participants and their mentors were introduced to the objectives of the consultations and key concepts related to migration and CRVS. This session enabled children to share their initial understanding of these topics, ensuring they felt informed and empowered to contribute meaningfully.