32. These gaps reveal that the absence of effective child-sensitive SDPs constitutes a systemic protection failure. Without SDPs, stateless children in mixed movements remain invisible within asylum, migration, and anti-trafficking systems, are misidentified as irregular migrants, and are denied access to protection, justice, and durable solutions. The limited number of States with SDPs, alongside the scarcity of international recommendations on their implementation, entrenches this protection gap. Recommending the establishment and effective implementation of SDPs is therefore essential to prevent trafficking, ensure timely identification and legal status, and secure pathways to nationality for stateless children. ii. Conflict-affected children and reintegration 33. Stateless children affected by armed conflict often carry profound psychological trauma, disrupted education, fractured social ties and an uncertain sense of identity and belonging. Successful reintegration therefore requires long-term programmes that combine psychosocial support, access to education, legal identity documentation, and community reconciliation efforts. Such reintegration programmes have benefits that extend well beyond the individual child, contributing to family cohesion, community stability, and long-term peacebuilding. The Paris Principles and Guidelines16 and other international frameworks emphasize that these children must be regarded first and supported through tailored interventions that meet their specific needs, preventing the risk of re-recruitment and re-trafficking.17 16 UNICEF, ‘Paris Principles operational handbook’, available at: https://www.unicef.org/documents/paris-principles-operational-handbook. 17 Global Coalition for Reintegration of Child Soldiers, ‘Gaps and needs for successful reintegration of children associated with armed groups or armed forces’, available at: https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Gaps-and-needs-for-SuccessfulReintegration-of-CAFAAG.pdf. 9