PRESS RELEASE

Like all of us, migrants need safety and stability after this year of crisis, OSCE human rights office says

WARSAW, 18 December 2020 – In a year that has made our common humanity so clear as the world struggles to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, greater efforts must be taken to safeguard and promote the human rights of all migrants, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) said on the occasion of International Migrants Day.

As we look towards 2021 in the hope it will bring health, wellbeing, and new opportunities to us and our loved ones, let us not forget the plight of the many migrants across the OSCE region who remain on the move or trapped in overcrowded camps or shelters. Whether they are travelling with their families or have left them far behind, they too are hoping that the next year will bring them safety and stability.

The pandemic has exposed many challenges already present in our societies for this ever-growing group of people, and highlighted the precarious situation in which many migrant communities across the OSCE region live. They were affected by border closures and movement restrictions, continue to suffer from unemployment or face greater risk exposure as essential workers responsible for keeping our societies and economies running.

Migrants have also found themselves the target of intolerance and hate-motivated attacks following the outbreak of the pandemic, and often unjustly blamed for the rapid spread of the virus. Migrant women in particular have suffered from discrimination and hatred. It’s important to understand that hate crime can lead to lasting trauma among victims, their families and communities as they struggle with a sense of fear and uncertainty that goes beyond the individual crimes perpetrated against them. 

On today’s International Migrants Day, it is therefore time for OSCE countries to strengthen their commitment to combat xenophobia and protect the human rights of migrants across the region.  At the same time, better co-ordination between national services responsible for migrants is needed to ensure their long-term integration, as well as improved co-operation between host countries. Migrants should never be left unprotected due to a lack of policy at national or international level.

In recent years, ODIHR has provided opportunities for more than 2,000 officials, experts and civil society representatives working on different aspects of migration and human rights to learn and exchange good practices in areas ranging from alternatives to immigration detention through to border monitoring. Other ODIHR resources in this area, including policy recommendations and guidance, can be found here.

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