Through the Lens of the UNCRC: Analyzing the Mental Health and Well-being of Refugee Children and Youth in Canada

Abstract

To provide refugee children and youth with opportunities to build a prosperous future in Canada, there must be adequate mental health supports made available to this vulnerable population. This paper will demonstrate how Canada has aspired to uphold the mental health rights of refugee children in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as well as the heightened commitment that is required to evoke an improved realization of these rights. This will become evident through analyzing the state of mental health rights of refugee children by examining them through the UNCRC’s four guiding principles framework.