A/HRC/42/58
migrants, including by strengthening labour inspection and facilitating regularisation of
foreign workers; and to ensure non-discriminatory access to all services, including access to
education and health services for migrants and members of their families regardless of their
migrant status.
13.
During the 3rd meeting on 9 April, the Committee met in small groups in an
informal session to consider questions and issues relating to migration, protection gaps
regarding migrants and asylum seekers, national mechanisms, stereotyping, non-citizens,
the Migrant Workers Convention, Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular
Migration, and the role and impact of the ICERD in this regard.
14.
At its 6th meeting on 10 April, the Ad Hoc Committee continued its consideration of
agenda item 4 on the protection of migrants against racist, discriminatory and xenophobic
practices. Ms. Ariadna Estevez, Professor and Advisor at the UNAM School of Social and
Political Sciences, Mexico gave a presentation (via video link) on this topic.
15.
Ms. Estevez noted that international migration was increasingly forced rather than
voluntary. Migrants left their countries for economic, environmental, political or other
reasons. The expert first described manifestations of racist, xenophobic and discriminatory
practices directed against migrants in the region of Latin America. She explained why she
thought it would be important that the Committee endorsed an Additional Protocol and
thirdly, she explained why it seemed important that the Protocol focused on the
phenomenon and the concept of xenophobia rather than on racism and racial discrimination.
16.
In the first part of her presentation, the expert focused on the situation of Hondurans
in Tijuana and then Venezuelans in Cúcuta, who have fled the violence and fear in their
countries to encounter xenophobia abroad. She then argued that an additional Protocol
could counteract the growing hegemony of fascist politics around the world, and addressing
xenophobia was a way to reverse racism, xenophobia and discrimination against migrant
men and women. She argued that current international legislation was not sufficient as
could be seen in the racist legislation of the European Union on migrants. She noted that the
EU’s racist approach to migration and refugees was institutionalized by the Dublin III
Regulation, which came into force in 2014 and is based on the Convention Dublin 1990,
Regulation I and the Dublin II Regulation of 2003. Such racist perspective had also been
globally reinforced by the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, and
the Global Compact on Refugees, adopted in December 2018, the expert stated.
17.
The purpose of these regional and international instruments was to prevent asylum
seekers and migrants from reaching the West. Prosperous countries would only accept
refugees and migrants through “legal” and limited means, such as family reunification,
scholarships for students or humanitarian visas. An Additional Protocol could counteract
measures such as those adopted by several Western countries to prevent migrants from
entering.
18.
In response to the presentation of Ms. Estevez, the representative of the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela noted that Venezuela adhered to the CELAC agreement on
migration and the Global Compact for Migration. The representative stated that his country
did not accept what in his view were false and inaccurate versions of the facts which were
disseminated about the country and that misinterpreted the movement of Venezuelans as
resulting from a humanitarian crisis. He added that external humanitarian interventions in
the country were contrary to international law, and were aimed destabilizing the country
and political interference. He informed that Venezuela had enacted a “return to the
homeland” programme that would enable Venezuelans who had left to voluntarily return to
the country.
Racism, in modern information and communication technologies (racial cybercrime)
19.
At its 4th meeting on 9 April, the Committee considered the issue of Racism, in
modern information and communication technologies (racial cybercrime). Ms. Jesse
Daniels, Professor of Sociology, Hunter College & Professor Africana Studies, The
Graduate Center, CUNY, USA, and Mr. Ernest Chernukin, Chief of Section, Department
for New Challenges and Threats, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russian Federation gave
presentations on the topic.
22
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents