Latest news with #InternationalConventionontheProtectionoftheRightsofAllMigrantWorkersandMembersofTheirFamilies
Scoop
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
UN Committee On Migrant Workers Publishes Findings On Jamaica, Mexico And Niger
Geneva, 24 April 2025 The UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW) today issued its findings on Jamaica, Mexico and Niger. The findings contain the Committee's main concerns and recommendations on the implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, as well as positive aspects. Key highlights include: Jamaica The Committee recognized Jamaica's efforts to combat trafficking in persons and welcomed the ratification of the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), as well as the implementation of the 'Vision 2030 Jamaica – National Development Plan', aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which supports efforts to address emigration and the 'brain drain' in the country. The Committee expressed their concern about migration-related legislation stemming from colonial times, which criminalizes irregular migration and lacks due process safeguards. It recommended that the State party accelerate legislative reform initiated by the Ministry of Legal and Constitutional Affairs of obsolete laws affecting migrant workers and their families and harmonize migration-related legislation with the Convention. In particular, the Committee recommended that irregular migration be decriminalized. It also urged the repeal of provisions on 'prohibited immigrants', which discriminate against migrants with disabilities and children of migrant workers in an irregular situation. In addition, the Committee recommended that immigration detention be phased out. It called for the practice of separating children of undocumented migrant workers in immigration detention from their parents and taking them into State care to be discontinued; and that appeals against expulsion decisions have automatic suspensive effect by law. The Committee also noted the limited number of social security agreements with countries hosting Jamaican migrants and encouraged Jamaica to pursue additional agreements to to promote and protect the rights of migrant workers at home and abroad. Mexico The Committee took note of Mexico's efforts to align its Migration Law with the General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents (LGDNNA) through the legal reform adopted in 2020, particularly to end the detention of migrant children and families. It also welcomed recent initiatives taken by the State to strengthen consular assistance and protection for its nationals abroad, especially in the United States of America. The Committee expressed concern over the growing militarization of migration management, involvement of private security companies, the widespread use of migration verification operations across the country by actors that do not hold statutory powers to do so. The Committee urged the State party to cease the participation of armed forces in migration functions, to end outsourcing of essential migration policy functions to private actors, and to strengthen national oversight and accountability mechanisms. The Committee also stated concerns about the continued and widespread use of migration-related deprivation of liberty, calling on Mexico to urgently respect a 36-hour maximum limit for detention in migrant holding centres, end deprivation of liberty of migrants, and establish strong safeguards for vulnerable groups of migrants, with policies that prioritize their protection over security concerns, along with monitoring mechanisms and access for civil society. Niger The Committee welcomed the adoption of Niger's national migration policy and action plan (2020–2035), and the Law No. 2019-29 on civil status system, which promotes the principle of universal declaration of civil status facts, including for migrants and refugees. It also acknowledged multiple challenges facing the State party, including political instability following the events of July 2023, food insecurity, and the adverse effects of climate change, all of which challenge the full implementation of the Convention. The Committee expressed concern over the dissolution of the National Human Rights Commission and the failure to establish a national human rights observatory, which was supposed to replace it. The Committee also raised concerns about the repeal of the anti-smuggling law in 2023 and violations of migrants' rights by border authorities, cases of pushbacks and blocking of migrants at borders, and cases of abandonment of migrants massively pushed back to the Sahara Desert. The Committee called for the State party to adopt a human rights-based approach to border management, urging strengthened search and rescue efforts, adherence to the principle of non-refoulement, prohibition of arbitrary and collective expulsions and provisions for immediate assistance to rescued or intercepted migrants.
Morocco World
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Morocco's CNDH Leads Conversation on Migrant Workers' Rights in Africa
Rabat – The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) held a roundtable this afternoon in Rabat to open a new chapter in the way migration is governed across Africa. In partnership with the UN Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW) and the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), the event introduces General Comment No. 6, a new interpretative text that encourages states to place human rights at the heart of migration policy. This new comment draws from both the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, adopted in 1990, and the more recent Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), adopted in 2018 in Marrakech. Though they differ in legal status, the convention is binding, while the GCM is not, the two frameworks reflect a shared purpose, to ensure dignity, fairness, and legal protections for people on the move. This roundtable gathers government officials, lawmakers, members of the judiciary, UN representatives, African Union delegates, civil society actors, and national human rights institutions from across the continent. Together, they take a closer look at how the General Comment can help bridge the two global instruments and offer clear guidance to states looking to adopt more humane, coherent migration strategies. The timing is critical. The African continent has witnessed a significant rise in regional migration, with over 29 million people on the move within its borders. Yet, the fact that 86% of migrants in Africa come from the continent itself often goes unmentioned in broader international debates. The General Comment pushes for policies that reflect this reality and support African-led solutions. Morocco advances migrant rights At the heart of today's gathering was a call to act by aligning legal frameworks and listening to the lived experiences of migrants. The text affirms the right to education, access to justice, freedom of expression, decent work, and protection upon return. It also underlines the role of national human rights institutions in preventing racial and ethnic profiling and in defending legal identity and recognition. Morocco has played a central role in shaping the General Comment. The CNDH hosted several of the consultations that led to its final draft, including a key meeting in Agadir. The Council also worked with Ibn Zohr University and civil society groups to organize workshops and discussions that helped shape regional understanding of the document. Amina Bouayach, President of Morocco's CNDH, revealed the institution's culmination of extensive work during the high-level migration meeting at CNDH headquarters. 'This work required more than two years of effort by committee members to develop General Comment No. 6,' she stated at today's roundtable with UN and African human rights institutions. 'Today, we present this observation in an attempt to intensify, consecrate, and expand protection for migrants and their families on any state's territory,' she added. As chair of NANHRI's Migration Working Group, Bouayach described CNDH's role in bridging legal frameworks affecting millions across Africa. Meanwhile, Joseph Whittal, Chairperson of the NANHRI, detailed the upcoming partnership during his visit to CNDH headquarters in Morocco. 'We are now discussing the Memorandum of Understanding that will lead to how NANHRI will work collaboratively with the UN Committee in practical ways,' he stated. The Ghana Commissioner noted that this cooperation aims to protect Africa's 29.2 million international migrants through concrete actions aligned with General Comment No. 6. 'The Working Group, which is led by Morocco, chaired by the Moroccan president, Amina Bouayach, has invited the Committee of Migrant Workers to participate in these discussions,' Whittal explained, stressing CNDH's central role in this continental initiative. One of today's key outcomes is the formal signing of a cooperation agreement between the CMW and NANHRI, a step forward in building stronger partnerships to protect migrants across Africa. By placing rights above rhetoric and bringing African voices to the center of the debate, the roundtable reflects a growing consensus: migration cannot be addressed through border control alone. It requires fairness, respect, and policies grounded in people's realities and challenges. Tags: Amina BouayachCNDHCNDH Moroccohuman rightsMigrant rightsmorocco CNDH
Morocco World
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Morocco's CNDH, DGSN Partner on Migrant Rights Training
Rabat – The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) and the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) have introduced a new training of trainers (ToT) program to strengthen human rights protections in law enforcement. The first session, scheduled for February 24, will focus on migration and Morocco's international obligations regarding the rights of migrants. Held at the CNDH headquarters in Rabat, the training will bring together 20 law enforcement officials and human rights experts to examine key migration-related issues. The program will cover international legal frameworks, including the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the Global Compact for Migration, and national legislation. Discussions will also address Morocco's engagement with UN treaty bodies, national migration and asylum policies, and ways to align law enforcement practices with international human rights standards. The training reflects ongoing efforts to integrate human rights principles into police work. By equipping officers with knowledge of legal obligations and best practices, the program looks to improve interactions with migrants and ensure greater compliance with national and international standards. Participants will explore real-life cases, analyze current challenges, and discuss strategies for protecting migrant rights while maintaining public security. This initiative expands on previous training efforts under the CNDH-DGSN partnership, which initially focused on preventing torture. It is part of an institutional cooperation agreement signed on September 14, 2022, which aims to improve law enforcement training and capacity building. By reinforcing human rights in police training, the program aims to improve professional standards, promote accountability, and help Morocco's larger efforts to adopt regulations that safeguard the rights of all citizens, regardless of migrant status. Tags: African MigrantsDGSNhuman rightsMorocco's CNDH
