A/75/183 including adverse consequences to their mental health and development, separation anxiety and long-term impact and trauma. 21 31. Children in immigration detention are at a heightened risk of experiencing violence and abuse and are more vulnerable to torture and ill-treatment, trafficking and exploitation. Structural vulnerabilities may be compounded for groups that are particularly vulnerable to sexual and other forms of violence, such as unaccompanied and separated children, migrant girls, children with disabilities and children belonging to ethnic or social minorities, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community (see A/74/136 and A/HRC/37/50, para. 28). 22 LGBTI children and girls are often placed in gender-inappropriate detention facilities with unrelated adults and face discrimination, greater social exclusion and violence, and barriers to accessing essential services such as education and health, in particular services related to sexual and reproductive rights. 32. Children have a range of physical, psychosocial, emotional and cognitive developmental needs. All of these can be severely compromised in detention settings. Medical research demonstrates the long-term impact of the continuous and cumulative nature of health, educational and social and econ omic exclusion in addition to the stress and violence affecting children in detention. These consequences have broader repercussions on societies, preventing children from reaching their full potential and limiting the development of entire communities. D. Good practices and initiatives prohibiting and restricting the use of immigration detention of children 33. Recent years have witnessed an outpouring of efforts in many countries to prohibit, restrict and reduce the use of immigration detention of c hildren. Supported by civil society and national human rights institutions, States are exploring alternative reception and care options for both unaccompanied migrant children and those with their families. An overview of existing legislation, policy and p ractice around the world demonstrates that ending child immigration detention is entirely feasible and that non-custodial alternative reception and care arrangements can provide migrant children and their families with a protective and nurturing environmen t. 34. In many countries in different parts of the world, immigration dete ntion does not exist and children are never held in detention for migration -related reasons. 23 The United Nations Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty shows that 24 jurisdictions, mainly in South and Central America, sub-Saharan Africa and the AsiaPacific region, do not or claim not to deprive children of liberty for migration purposes. 24 A review of national legislation and policies based on information received was undertaken to assess the extent to which national legislation and policies prohibit or restrict the use of immigration detention of children and their families. It is, however, important to note that the effective implementation of such legislation and policies varies significantly among countries. __________________ 21 22 23 24 8/23 Ibid. See also International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association and Lucas Ramón Mendos, State-Sponsored Homophobia 2019 (Geneva, ILGA World, March 2019). Submissions by Colombia, by Ghana, by Senegal and by Uruguay. United Nations Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty, pp. 455 and 463. 20-09734