EU border management: UN expert ends first stage of key one-year study to assess migrants’ rights

BRUSSELS / GENEVA (9 May 2012) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, François Crépeau, completed his three day visit* to the EU headquarters in Brussels, from 7 to 9 May 2012.

The UN Expert met with a range of EU Institutions, to examine the various policies, programmes and approaches of the Union to the human rights of migrants at the border of the European Union. This visit was carried out in the context of a broader one-year comprehensive study to examine the rights of migrants in the Euro-Mediterranean region, focusing in particular on the management of the external borders of the European Union.

Within this framework, the Special Rapporteur has also made requests to visit Tunisia, Turkey, Greece and Italy later this year, where he will examine the impact of these policies on migrants on the ground, at key points along the EU border.

Based on the information obtained during his multi-leg fact finding mission, he will present a report with his final findings and recommendations to the Human Rights Council in 2013.

(*) EU border management: UN expert launches one-year study to assess migrants’ rights. First stop, Brussels: http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2012/05/eu-border-management-un-expert-launches-one-year-study-assess-migrants

ENDS

François Crépeau (Canada) was appointed Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants in June 2011 by the UN Human Rights Council, for an initial period of three years. As Special Rapporteur, he is independent from any government or organization and serves in his individual capacity. Mr. Crépeau is also Full Professor at the Faculty of Law of McGill University, in Montréal, where he holds the Hans and Tamar Oppenheimer Chair in Public International Law and is scientific director of the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism. Learn more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-migrants

Address by the Special Rapporteur to the UN General Assembly (21 October 2011):
http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2011/10/statement-mr-francois-crepeau-special-rapporteur-human-rights-migrants-66th

Check the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cmw.htm

For more information and media requests, please contact Jacqui Zalcberg (+41 22 917 9271 / jzalcberg@ohchr.org) or write to migrant@ohchr.org

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