Coastal States and the Protection of Migrant Children at Sea

The aim of this Chapter is to illustrate , in the light of relevant case law of domestic courts and international tribunals, the rules of public International Law that bind States in the field of the protection of children migrant at sea. These rules may be applied differently depending on the area of the sea where a State intervenes.Indeed, the rights of States to exercise jurisdiction over ships at sea -including ships involved in (ir)regular migration - differs depending on the maritime zone in which patrols are carried out. More specifically, the Chapter focuses on the rules regarding the protection of different categories of children which must be implemented by coastal States in the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the high seas and the SAR (search and Rescue at Sea) zones.