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for help. The Ministry also offers free conciliation services to foreign domestic workers and
foreign workers to help mediate employment disputes. If necessary, interpretation facilities are
provided to facilitate the process of seeking assistance. To facilitate criminal proceedings
against errant employers, they are also permitted to reside in Singapore until the proceedings are
concluded.
136. Finally, in Spain, non-nationals have access to the same mechanisms of protection as
nationals. Migrants have access to the judiciary system in the same conditions as nationals, as
well as to the Ombudsman.
137. The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members
of Their Families recommended that “States should establish effective and accessible
channels which would allow all migrant workers to lodge complaints of violations of their
rights without fear of retaliation on the grounds that they may be in an irregular situation”.3
The Special Rapporteur highly encourages Member States to implement this recommendation.
III. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
138. The Special Rapporteur would like to thank the Governments of more
than 20 countries that have responded to his questionnaire. He is greatly encouraged by
the responses and states that it represents an important attempt to document the efforts of
States working towards the improvement of the protection of the human rights of
migrants. This certainly leaves room for improvement but it also shows some signs of
hope.
139. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the numerous initiatives by States that have
stemmed from the High-Level Dialogue, including the forthcoming Global Forum on
Migration and Development to be hosted by the Government of Belgium. The Global
Forum would provide an opportunity to identify best practices, exchange experiences,
identify obstacles to be removed, explore and adapt innovative approaches and enhance
cooperation between countries in a process that involves Governments and other
stakeholders as appropriate.
140. The Special Rapporteur would like to make the following recommendations for
consideration by the Global Forum:
− A large variety of stakeholders should participate in the Global Forum on
Migration and Development, including adequate representation of young
migrants, migrant women and migrants from indigenous groups, with a view to
ensure an inclusive process;
3
Contribution by the Committee on Migrant Workers to the General Assembly’s High-Level
Dialogue on Migration and Development (A/61/120, para. 15 (f)), http://www.ohchr.org/
english/bodies/cmw/docs/HLMigration/A.61.120E.pdf.
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