Children of illegal migrant workers: Life circumstances and mental health Yael Meir ⁎, Michelle Slone, Iris Lavi School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, P.O. Box 39040, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel abstract article info Article history: Received 7 February 2012 Received in revised form 8 April 2012 Accepted 11 April 2012 Available online 19 April 2012 Keywords: Illegal migrant workers children Development Mental health Life events Behavioral difficulties A growing population of children of illegal migrant workers has produced public debate worldwide. Obliged to conceal themselves in the host country, little is known about these children's developmental and psycho- logical characteristics which have been strikingly understudied. Recognizing this need, a study collecting data about this population in Israel is presented. Israel's migrant worker policy has led to a sizable population of children without legal status. Exposure to negative life events and mental health indicators were compared for three groups of children (N =68) born in Israel, living in South Tel Aviv, children of illegal migrants from Africa and the Philippines and a control group of legal immigrants' children from Bukhara. Findings showed significant group differences on ethnic identity and traumatic life events exposure. No differences emerged on emotional and behavioral difficulties. A direct relation was found between high life events impact and self-perception of emo- tional, behavioral and social difficulties. Only for the Bukhari group, child-report of low or high negative life events impact was directly related to teacher-report of children's behavioral difficulties. Accumulation of empirical data about this hidden population is crucial for international decisions regarding their status, rights and care. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Increasingly concerned with the social, economic, and political consequences of high levels of illegal immigration, many countries are tightening their immigration laws in an effort to contain illegal immi- gration and to adjust the status of those already residing in their territo- ry. This is being conducted mainly through numerous restrictions on entering the country or through extension of the stay of illegal immi- grants (Crepeau & Nakache, 2006). Countless migrants have entered and remained in the host country without legal documents or are stay- ing longer or on different terms than their temporary permits allowed (Lindert, Schouler-Ocak, Heinz, & Priebe, 2008). Of these millions of undocumented migrants up to 50% are minors, most of whom are im- properly documented (Lindert et al., 2008). The circumstance of a growing population of children of illegal mi- grant workers has been a cause for public debate worldwide over the past few years. The controversy and media attention has influenced some governmental decisions regarding the future of this population. Obliged to conceal many aspects of their presence to the host coun- try's authorities, very little is known about the developmental status, psychological characteristics and special needs of children of migrant workers. Although undocumented migration in general and the fate of chil- dren of illegal migrant workers specifically, have become issues of high international relevance, they have been strikingly understudied. The little research that has been conducted has been restricted to ways in which non-status of adult illegal immigrants leaves them and their families with difficulties in access to health care and social services (Magalhaes, Carrasco, & Gastaldo, 2010), education (Clare & García, 2007) and legal rights (Ruiz-Casares, Rousseau, Derluyn, Watters, & Crepeau, 2010). 1.1. Developmental risks to children of illegal migrant workers Growing up in low socio-economic circumstances in deprived conditions with unequal civil and legal rights places undocumented children at high risk for developmental and emotional risk. In both the ecological theory of child development (Bronfenbrenner, 1986) and the transactional model (Sameroff, 1993), systemic dynamics of individual-context relations have been well established as contribut- ing to developmental change. Studies of the influence of individual and contextual characteristics on development have shown that the strongest predictor of children's socio-emotional and cognitive devel- opment is risk accumulation (Sameroff, Seifer, & McDonough, 2004). The association between risk factors and children's developmental outcomes may act together (Sameroff et al., 2004). Single risk factor exposure does not increase risk for psychiatric disorder whereas two or more risk factors produce significantly increased risk (Loeber et al., 2001). Similarly, socio-emotional and cognitive competence decreases as a linear function of the increase in number of risk factors (Moffitt & Caspi, 2001). Children and Youth Services Review 34 (2012) 1546–1552 ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: + 972 522 567193; fax: + 972 3 6409547. E-mail addresses: yaelmeir10@gmail.com (Y. Meir), mich@post.tau.ac.il (M. Slone), iris.lavi.01@gmail.com (I. Lavi). 0190-7409/$ – see front matter © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.04.008 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Children and Youth Services Review journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth