A/HRC/RES/17/22
Reaffirming that everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence
within the borders of each State, and to leave any country, including his or her own, and to
return to his or her country,
Recalling the obligations of States under international human rights law,
humanitarian law and refugee law, in particular with regard to the principle of nonrefoulement,
Recalling also the responsibility of States to take the requisite steps in accordance
with their international obligations to provide persons in distress at sea, including persons
fleeing the recent events in North Africa, with assistance,
Affirming that crimes and human rights violations against migrants continue to pose
a serious challenge and require a concerted international assessment and response and
genuine multilateral cooperation among countries of origin, transit and destination for their
eradication,
1.
Expresses its alarm at the continuing vulnerable situation of migrants and
asylum-seekers who have suffered untold hardship and, in some cases, even death as they
attempt to flee recent events in North Africa;
2.
Also expresses its alarm at the fact that, after having been compelled to make
dangerous journeys, including in crowded and unsafe boats, the above-mentioned migrants
are subjected to life-threatening exclusion, detention, rejection and xenophobia;
3.
Further expresses its alarm at the fact that, since the beginning of the recent
events in North Africa, there have been several reports of boats sinking and, in this regard,
notes with sadness the death at sea of several hundreds of people, mostly African citizens,
after their boats sank and that, according to accounts of survivors and family members,
more than one thousand two hundred people are still unaccounted for;
4.
Recognizes the efforts made by countries of destination on the northern
shores of the Mediterranean sea to host migrants and asylum-seekers fleeing recent events
in North Africa, as well as the greater efforts made by neighbouring north African
countries, which impose on them a disproportionate burden, and commends, for their
solidarity, the Governments and people of those countries, humanitarian actors, including
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International
Organization for Migration, the International Committee of the Red Cross, international and
local non-governmental organizations and those Governments and individuals who have
supported their activities;
5.
Reaffirms the need to respect the fundamental principle of non-refoulement,
including in the context of people fleeing events in North Africa;
6.
Emphasizes that countries of destination should deal with the arrival of
thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers fleeing recent events in North Africa, including
its humanitarian dimension, in accordance with international obligations under international
human rights law;
7.
Calls for a comprehensive inquiry by countries of destination into the very
troubling allegations that sinking vessels carrying migrants and asylum-seekers fleeing the
recent events in North Africa were abandoned to their fate despite the ability of European
ships in the vicinity to rescue them, and welcomes the call made by the Council of Europe
in this regard on 9 May 2011;
8.
Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to pay
particular attention to the situation of migrants and asylum-seekers fleeing recent events in
North Africa described in the present resolution, to report to the Human Rights Council at
its eighteenth session and to provide updates thereon;
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