Surge in number of unaccompanied children crossing border from Central America poses a humanitarian challenge

 

When the gang came for him, Ceferino decided he had three choices: join them, refuse to join and risk being killed, or flee the country.

The teenager left his family in Guatemala and headed for the US, becoming part of a wave of unaccompanied children from Central America that has overwhelmed authorities at the Texas border and sparked a humanitarian crisis and a political row.

In the past nine months, the US border patrol has apprehended more than 57,000 children like Ceferino. This is more than double last year's number because of a dramatic rise in children arriving from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, where murder rates are among the highest in the world and violent gangs are common.

 read the newstory by TOM DART
Youngsters risk all to cross border - World - NZ Herald News