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Migrant domestic workers
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Year
- 2011
- Document code
- CMW/C/GC/1
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Document
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ...
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Year
- 2017
- Document code
- CMW/C/GC/3-CRC/C/GC/22
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Document
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Year
- 2013
- Document code
- CMW/C/GC/2
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Document
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ...
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Year
- 2017
- Document code
- CMW/C/GC/4-CRC/C/GC/23
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Document
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- The Committees encourage States parties to ensure that the authorities responsible for children’s rights have a leading role, with clear decision-making power, on policies, practices and decisions that affect the rights of children in the context of international migration. Comprehensive child protection systems at the national and local levels should mainstream into their programmes the situation of all children in the context of international migration, including in countries of origin, transit, destination and return. In addition to the mandates of child protection bodies, authorities responsible for migration and other related policies that affect children’s rights should also systematically assess and address the impacts on and needs of children in the context of international migration at every stage of policymaking and implementation.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The principle of non-refoulement, as contained in international and regional human rights and refugee law, is the prohibition on forcibly removing anyone, in any manner whatsoever, to a country or territory where they would be at real risk of persecution or serious human rights violations or abuses. In the view of the Committee, this principle covers the risk of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including inhumane and degrading conditions of detention for migrants or lack of necessary medical treatment in the country of return, as well as the risk to the right to life (arts. 9 and 10 of the Convention). It also applies to situations where individuals would not be protected from onward refoulement. The Committee is of the view that migrants and members of their families should be protected in cases where expulsions would constitute arbitrary interference with the right to family and private life. Migrants and members of their families in an irregular situation with international protection needs should also be protected against expulsion.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 36a
- Paragraph text
- [In accordance with article 17, paragraph 1, of the Convention, States parties have an obligation to treat migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty with humanity, and with respect for their inherent dignity and cultural identity. In order to respect the inherent dignity of migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty, States parties are obliged to ensure adequate conditions in line with applicable international standards, including the provision of adequate sanitary, bathing and shower facilities; adequate food (including appropriate food for those observing religious dietary laws) and drinking water; the right to communicate with relatives and friends; access to qualified medical personnel, and adequate opportunities to practise their faith, for example. It also requires States parties to ensure that they are not subjected to any form of inhumane treatment, including sexual violence and abuse, by guards or other detainees or inmates. States parties must therefore:] Train supervisory and other staff;
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 36e
- Paragraph text
- [In accordance with article 17, paragraph 1, of the Convention, States parties have an obligation to treat migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty with humanity, and with respect for their inherent dignity and cultural identity. In order to respect the inherent dignity of migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty, States parties are obliged to ensure adequate conditions in line with applicable international standards, including the provision of adequate sanitary, bathing and shower facilities; adequate food (including appropriate food for those observing religious dietary laws) and drinking water; the right to communicate with relatives and friends; access to qualified medical personnel, and adequate opportunities to practise their faith, for example. It also requires States parties to ensure that they are not subjected to any form of inhumane treatment, including sexual violence and abuse, by guards or other detainees or inmates. States parties must therefore:] Bring those responsible to justice.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Article 25 provides for equality in treatment regarding remuneration and other conditions of work between nationals and migrants and also guarantees this right in private employment contracts, notwithstanding the status of the migrant worker. Article 25, paragraph 3, states that employers shall not be relieved of any legal or contractual obligations, nor shall their obligations be limited in any manner by reason of any irregularity in the stay or employment of migrant workers. States parties shall provide for appropriate sanctions for employers who derogate from the principle of equality of treatment in private employment contracts with migrant workers in an irregular situation, and ensure that those migrant workers have access to labour courts or other judicial remedies when their rights are violated and without fear of being deported (art. 83). To give effect to this provision, the Committee is of the view that States parties shall also put in place an effective monitoring system for workplaces, especially in industries known to be employing migrant workers in an irregular situation.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Migrant domestic workers 2011, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Contract law. National laws and regulations pertaining to contracts are often inapplicable to domestic work and/or domestic workers, either categorically or as a practical matter because domestic work is performed in the informal labour market.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Migrant domestic workers 2011, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Migrant domestic workers may encounter difficulties in reintegrating into the labour market and society in their countries of origin upon their return. They may also encounter difficulties related to the portability of pension and social security benefits.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Migrant domestic workers 2011, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- The prolonged absence of migrant domestic workers negatively affects the family unity, and the social and psychological wellbeing of members of their families and also often results in violations of the rights of their children who have remained in the country of origin.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Migrant domestic workers 2011, para. 13a
- Paragraph text
- [In the workplace, many are subjected to abusive working conditions, including:] Partial and in many cases, total, restriction on movement outside the house and on communication with individuals outside the house, including with family members left behind;
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Migrant domestic workers 2011, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Embassies and consulates of countries of origin are encouraged to cooperate with each other to identify abusive recruitment agencies and to promote appropriate protection policies for migrant domestic workers.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Migrant domestic workers 2011, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- States parties should eliminate discriminatory policies and practices that deny or restrict the rights of children of migrant domestic workers, notably their right to health and education (articles 28 and 30).
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Migrant domestic workers 2011, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- States parties are encouraged to provide migrant domestic workers with information about relevant associations that can provide assistance in the country/city of origin and employment.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- The principle of equality of treatment requires States to eliminate any discrimination against migrant children and to adopt appropriate and gender-sensitive provisions to overcome educational barriers. This means that, where necessary, targeted measures are needed, including additional language education, additional staff and other intercultural support, without discrimination of any kind. States are encouraged to dedicate staff to facilitating access to education for migrant children and to promoting the integration of migrant children into schools. In addition, States should take measures aimed at prohibiting and preventing any kind of educational segregation, to ensure that migrant children learn the new language as a means for effective integration. State efforts should include the provision of early childhood education as well as psychosocial support. States should also provide formal and non-formal learning opportunities, teacher training and life skills classes.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The Committees strongly urge States to expeditiously reform regulations and practices that prevent migrant children, in particular undocumented children, from registering at schools and educational institutions. States should also develop effective firewalls between educational institutions and immigration authorities and prohibit the sharing of students’ data as well as immigration enforcement operations on or near school premises, as these practices limit or deprive migrant children or children of migrant workers in an irregular situation of their right to education. To respect children’s right to education, States are also encouraged to avoid disruption during migration-related procedures, avoiding children having to move during the school year if possible, as well as supporting them to complete any compulsory and ongoing education courses when they reach the age of majority. While access to upper-level education is not compulsory, the principle of non-discrimination obliges States to provide available services to every child without discrimination on the basis of their migration status or other prohibited grounds.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- States are encouraged to emphasize a holistic approach to the right to health. Their national plans, policies, and strategies should address the health needs of migrant children and the vulnerable situations in which they may find themselves. Migrant children should have access to health services without being required to present a residence permit or asylum registration. Administrative and financial barriers to accessing services should be removed, including through the acceptance of alternative means of proving identity and residence, such as testimonial evidence. In addition, the Committees urge States to prohibit the sharing of patients’ data between health institutions and immigration authorities as well as immigration enforcement operations on or near public health premises, as these effectively limit or deprive migrant children or children born to migrant parents in an irregular situation of their right to health. Effective firewalls should be put in place in order to ensure their right to health.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- States should take all appropriate legislative and administrative measures, including a gender dimension, to regulate and protect the employment of migrant children with respect to the minimum age of employment and hazardous work. Given the specific risk to which migrant children are exposed, States shall also ensure that, in both law and practice, all necessary measures, including the provision of appropriate penalties, be taken by the competent authority to guarantee the effective enforcement of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and relevant international standards and that migrant children: - Enjoy fair terms of employment as well as decent working conditions, in line with internationally accepted standards - Enjoy specific protective measures regulating the hours and conditions under which children can work - Are subject to periodic medical examinations attesting to their fitness for work - Have access to justice in case of violation of their rights by public or private actors, including by ensuring effective complaints mechanisms and a firewall between labour rights and immigration enforcement
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- For migrant children for whom there are indications of trafficking, sale or other forms of sexual exploitation or who may be at risk of such acts or of child marriage, States should adopt the following measures: - Establish early identification measures to detect victims of sale, trafficking and abuse, as well as referral mechanisms, and in this regard carry out mandatory training for social workers, border police, lawyers, medical professionals and all other staff who come into contact with children - Where different migration statuses are available, the most protective status (i.e., asylum or residence on humanitarian grounds) should be applied and granting such status should be determined on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the best interests of the child - Ensure that the granting of residence status or assistance to migrant child victims of sale, trafficking or other forms of sexual exploitation is not made conditional on the initiation of criminal proceedings or their cooperation with law enforcement authorities.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Undocumented migrant children and parents dependent on residence or work permits, who can easily be made undocumented by their sponsor/employer, face risks of being reported to the immigration authorities by public service providers or other officials or by private individuals. This limits their enjoyment of human rights, including protection and access to justice, and makes them more vulnerable to violence and to labour and other types of exploitation and abuse, and could be the result of policies prioritizing the detection of migrants in irregular status instead of their protection from violence, abuse and exploitation, making children more vulnerable to experiencing violence or witnessing violence against a family member. Among other measures, effective firewalls between child protection services and immigration enforcement should be ensured.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- It is essential that States take all necessary measures to prevent and combat the illicit transfer and non-return of children as well as the worst forms of child labour, including all forms of slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, the use of children for illicit activities, including begging, and hazardous work, and protect them from violence and economic exploitation. The Committees recognize that children face gender-specific risks and vulnerabilities which should be identified and specifically addressed. In many contexts, girls may be even more vulnerable to trafficking, especially for purposes of sexual exploitation. Additional measures should be taken to address the particular vulnerability of girls and boys, including those who might have a disability, as well as children who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex persons, to trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation and abuse.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Family reunification in the country of origin should not be pursued where there is a “reasonable risk” that such a return would lead to the violation of the human rights of the child. When family reunification in the country of origin is not in the best interests of the child or not possible due to legal or other obstacles to return, the obligations under article 9 and 10 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child come into effect and should govern the State’s decisions on family reunification therein. Measures for parents to reunify with their children and/or regularize their status on the basis of their children’s best interests should be put in place. Countries should facilitate family reunification procedures in order to complete them in an expeditious manner, in line with the best interests of the child. It is recommended that States apply best interest determination procedures in finalizing family reunification.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- In the case of unaccompanied or separated children, including children separated from their parents due to the enforcement of immigration laws, such as the parents’ detention, efforts to find sustainable, rights-based solutions for them should be initiated and implemented without delay, including the possibility of family reunification. If the child has family in the country of destination, the country of origin or a third country, child protection and welfare authorities in countries of transit or destination should contact family members as soon as possible. The decision as to whether a child should be reunited with his or her family in the country of origin, transit and/or destination should be based on a robust assessment in which the child’s best interests are upheld as a primary consideration and family reunification is taken into consideration, and which includes a sustainable reintegration plan where the child is guaranteed to participate in the process.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- States should strengthen measures to grant nationality to children born in their territory in situations where they would otherwise be stateless. When the law of a mother’s country of nationality does not recognize a woman’s right to confer nationality on her children and/or spouse, children may face the risk of statelessness. Likewise, where nationality laws do not guarantee women’s autonomous right to acquire, change or retain their nationality in marriage, girls in the situation of international migration who married under the age of 18 years may face the risk of being stateless, or be confined in abusive marriages out of fear of being stateless. States should take immediate steps to reform nationality laws that discriminate against women by granting equal rights to men and women to confer nationality on their children and spouses and regarding the acquisition, change or retention of their nationality.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- The Committees are of the view that States should ensure that their legislation, policies, measures and practices guarantee child-sensitive due process in all migration and asylum administrative and judicial proceedings affecting the rights of children and/or those of their parents. All children, including children accompanied by parents or other legal guardians, should be treated as individual rights holders, their child-specific needs considered equally and individually and their views appropriately heard and given due weight. They should have access to administrative and judicial remedies against decisions affecting their own situation or that of their parents, to guarantee that all decisions are taken in their best interests Measures should be taken to avoid undue delays in migration/asylum procedures that could negatively affect children’s rights, including family reunification procedures. Unless it is contrary to the child’s best interests, speedy proceedings should be encouraged, provided that this does not restrict any due process guarantees.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Access to justice is a fundamental right in itself and a prerequisite for the protection and promotion of all other human rights, and as such it is of paramount importance that every child in the context of international migration is empowered to claim his/her rights. The responsibility of States parties requires structural and proactive interventions to ensure fair, effective and prompt access to justice. The Committee on the Rights of the Child, in its general comment No. 5 (2003) on general measures of implementation of the Convention, held that an effective remedy requires effective, child-sensitive procedures. It further outlined that such procedures should guarantee the adoption of certain specific measures in order to ensure that administrative and judicial proceedings are adapted to the needs and development of children, and that the best interests of the child is a primary consideration in all such proceedings.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- In the view of the Committees, child protection and welfare actors should take primary responsibility for children in the context of international migration. When a migrant child is first detected by immigration authorities, child protection or welfare officials should immediately be informed and be in charge of screening the child for protection, shelter and other needs. Unaccompanied and separated children should be placed in the national/local alternative care system, preferably in family-type care with their own family when available, or otherwise in community care when family is not available. These decisions have to be taken within a child-sensitive due process framework, including the child’s rights to be heard, to have access to justice and to challenge before a judge any decision that could deprive him or her of liberty, and should take into account the vulnerabilities and needs of the child, including those based on their gender, disability, age, mental health, pregnancy or other conditions.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Consequently, child and family immigration detention should be prohibited by law and its abolishment ensured in policy and practice. Resources dedicated to detention should be diverted to non-custodial solutions carried out by competent child protection actors engaging with the child and, where applicable, his or her family. The measures offered to the child and the family should not imply any kind of child or family deprivation of liberty and should be based on an ethic of care and protection, not enforcement. They should focus on case resolution in the best interests of the child and provide all the material, social and emotional conditions necessary to ensure the comprehensive protection of the rights of the child, allowing for children’s holistic development. Independent public bodies, as well as civil society organizations, should be able to regularly monitor these facilities or measures. Children and families should have access to effective remedies in case any kind of immigration detention is enforced.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- Instead, States should adopt solutions that fulfil the best interests of the child, along with their rights to liberty and family life, through legislation, policy and practices that allow children to remain with their family members and/or guardians in non-custodial, community-based contexts while their immigration status is being resolved and the children’s best interests are assessed, as well as before return. When children are unaccompanied, they are entitled to special protection and assistance by the State in the form of alternative care and accommodation in accordance with the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children When children are accompanied, the need to keep the family together is not a valid reason to justify the deprivation of liberty of a child. When the child’s best interests require keeping the family together, the imperative requirement not to deprive the child of liberty extends to the child’s parents and requires the authorities to choose non-custodial solutions for the entire family.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- To make an informed estimate of age, States should undertake a comprehensive assessment of the child’s physical and psychological development, conducted by specialist paediatricians or other professionals who are skilled in combining different aspects of development. Such assessments should be carried out in a prompt, child-friendly, gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate manner, including interviews of children and, as appropriate, accompanying adults, in a language the child understands. Documents that are available should be considered genuine unless there is proof to the contrary, and statements by children and their parents or relatives must be considered. The benefit of the doubt should be given to the individual being assessed. States should refrain from using medical methods based on, inter alia, bone and dental exam analysis, which may be inaccurate, with wide margins of error, and can also be traumatic and lead to unnecessary legal processes. States should ensure that their determinations can be reviewed or appealed to a suitable independent body.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 3
- Paragraph text
- The definition of the child under the Convention on the Rights of the Child provides rights and protection until the age of 18. The Committees are concerned that children between 15 and 18 years tend to be provided much lower levels of protection, and are sometimes considered as adults or left with an ambiguous migration status until they reach 18 years of age. States are urged to ensure that equal standards of protection are provided to every child, including those above the age of 15 years and regardless of their migration status. In accordance with the Guidelines for Alternative Care of Children, States should provide adequate follow-up, support and transition measures for children as they approach 18 years of age, particularly those leaving a care context, including by ensuring access to long-term regular migration status and reasonable opportunities for completing education, access to decent jobs and integrating into the society they live in. The child should be adequately prepared for independent living during this transition period, and competent authorities shall ensure adequate follow-up of the individual situation. The Committees additionally encourage States to take protective and support measures beyond the age of 18 years.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of c ... 2017, para. 2
- Paragraph text
- The present joint general comment was adopted at the same time as joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights of children in the context of international migration. While that general comment and the present one are stand-alone documents in their own right, the two complement each other and should be read and implemented together. The drafting process included a series of global and regional consultations held between May and July 2017 with representatives of key stakeholders and experts, including children and migrant organizations, in Bangkok, Beirut, Berlin, Dakar, Geneva, Madrid and Mexico City. In addition, the Committees received more than 80 written contributions from States, United Nations agencies and entities, civil society organizations, national human rights institutions and other stakeholders from every region of the world between November 2015 and August 2017.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The Committees are concerned that some States parties choose to recognize a narrow definition of the non-refoulement principle. The Committees have already pointed out that States shall not reject a child at a border or return him or her to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing that he or she is at real risk of irreparable harm, such as, but by no means limited to, those contemplated under articles 6 (1) and 37 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, either in the country to which removal is to be effected or in any country to which the child may subsequently be removed. Such non-refoulement obligations apply irrespective of whether serious violations of those rights guaranteed under the Convention originate from non-State actors or whether such violations are directly intended or are the indirect consequence of States parties’ action or inaction.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- The Committees are concerned that policies or practices that deny or restrict basic rights, including labour rights and other social rights, to adult migrants owing to their nationality, statelessness, ethnic origin or migration status may directly or indirectly affect children’s right to life, survival and development. Such policies would also obstruct the design of comprehensive migration policies and the efforts made to bring migration into the mainstream of development policies. Therefore, in line with article 18 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, States parties should ensure that children’s development, and their best interests, are taken fully into account when it comes to policies and decisions aimed at regulating their parents’ access to social rights, regardless of their migration status. Similarly, children’s right to development, and their best interests, should be taken into consideration when States address, in general or individually, the situation of migrants residing irregularly, including through the implementation of regularization mechanisms as a means to promote integration and prevent exploitation and marginalization of migrant children and their families.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- States parties should take all measures appropriate to fully promote and facilitate the participation of children, including providing them with the opportunity to be heard in any administrative or judicial proceeding related to their or their families’ cases, including any decision on care, shelter or migration status. Children should be heard independently of their parents, and their individual circumstances should be included in the consideration of the family’s cases. Specific best-interests assessments should be carried out in those procedures, and the child’s specific reasons for the migration should be taken into account. Regarding the significant relationship between the right to be heard and the best interests of the child, the Committee on the Rights of the Child has already stated that there can be no correct application of article 3 if the components of article 12 are not respected. Likewise, article 3 reinforces the functionality of article 12, facilitating the essential role of children in all decisions affecting their lives.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on the Rights of the Child, in its general comment No. 12, underlines that adequate measures to guarantee the right to be heard should be implemented in the context of international migration, as children who come to a country could be in a particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged situation. For that reason, it is critical to implement fully their right to express their views on all aspects affecting their lives, including as an integral part of immigration and asylum proceedings, and for their views to be given due weight. Children may have their own migration projects and migration-driving factors, and policies and decisions cannot be effective or appropriate without their participation. The Committee also emphasizes that these children should be provided with all relevant information, inter alia, on their rights, the services available, means of communication, complaints mechanisms, the immigration and asylum processes and their outcomes. Information should be provided in the child’s own language in a timely manner, in a child-sensitive and age-appropriate manner, in order to make their voice heard and to be given due weight in the proceedings.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- [The Committees stress that States parties should:] If determined that it is in the best interests of the child to be returned, an individual plan should be prepared, together with the child where possible, for his or her sustainable reintegration. The Committees stress that countries of origin, transit, destination and return should develop comprehensive frameworks with dedicated resources for the implementation of policies and comprehensive inter-institutional coordination mechanisms. Such frameworks should ensure, in cases of children returning to their countries of origin or third countries, their effective reintegration through a rights-based approach, including immediate protection measures and long-term solutions, in particular effective access to education, health, psychosocial support, family life, social inclusion, access to justice and protection from all forms of violence. In all such situations, a quality rights-based follow-up by all involved authorities, including independent monitoring and evaluation, should be ensured. The Committees highlight that return and reintegration measures should be sustainable from the perspective of the child’s right to life, survival and development.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 32k
- Paragraph text
- [The Committees stress that States parties should:] Develop and put into practice, with regard to unaccompanied children and children with families, a best-interests determination procedure aimed at identifying and applying comprehensive, secure and sustainable solutions, including further integration and settlement in the country of current residence, repatriation to the country of origin or resettlement in a third country. Such solutions may include medium-term options and ensuring that there are possibilities for children and families to gain access to secure residence status in the best interests of the child. Best-interest determination procedures should be guided by child protection authorities within child protection systems. Possible solutions and plans should be discussed and developed together with the child, in a child-friendly and sensitive manner, in accordance with Committee on the Rights of the Child general comment No. 12 (2009) on the right of the child to be heard;
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 32g
- Paragraph text
- [The Committees stress that States parties should:] Conduct a best-interests assessment on a case-by-case basis in order to decide, if needed, and in accordance with the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, the type of accommodation that would be most appropriate for an unaccompanied or separated child, or children with parents. In that process, community-based care solutions should be prioritized. Any measure that constrains children’s liberty in order to protect them, e.g. placement in secure accommodation, should be implemented within the child protection system with the same standards and safeguards; be strictly necessary, legitimate and proportionate to the aim of protecting the individual child from harming him or herself or others; be part of a holistic care plan; and be disconnected from migration-enforcement policies, practices and authorities;
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- In order to implement the best interests principle in migration-related procedures or decisions that could affect children, the Committees stress the need to conduct systematically best-interests assessments and determination procedures as part of, or to inform, migration-related and other decisions that affect migrant children. As the Committee on the Rights of the Child explains in its general comment No. 14, the child’s best interests should be assessed and determined when a decision is to be made. A “best-interests assessment” involves evaluating and balancing all the elements necessary to make a decision in the specific situation for a specific individual child or group of children. A “best-interests determination” is a formal process with strict procedural safeguards designed to determine the child’s best interests on the basis of the best-interests assessment. In addition, assessing the child’s best interests is a unique activity that should be undertaken in each individual case and in the light of the specific circumstances of each child or group of children, including age, sex, level of maturity, whether the child or children belong to a minority group and the social and cultural context in which the child or children find themselves.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Recognizing that the best interests of the child — once assessed and determined — might conflict with other interests or rights (e.g. of other children, the public and parents) and that potential conflicts have to be resolved on a case-by-case basis, carefully balancing the interests of all parties and finding a suitable compromise, the Committee stresses in paragraph 39 of its general comment No. 14 that the right of the child to have his or her best interests taken as a primary consideration means that the child’s interests have high priority and are not just one of several considerations. Therefore, a larger weight must be attached to what serves the child best. It further states in paragraph 82 that the purpose of assessing and determining the best interests of the child is to ensure the full and effective enjoyment of the rights recognized in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the holistic development of the child.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Article 3 (1) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child places an obligation on both the public and the private spheres, courts of law, administrative authorities and legislative bodies to ensure that the best interests of the child are assessed and taken as a primary consideration in all actions affecting children. As the Committee on the Rights of the Child has stated in paragraph 6 of its general comment No. 14, the right of the child to have his or her best interests taken into account as a primary consideration is a substantive right, an interpretative legal principle and a rule of procedure, and it applies to children both as individuals and as a group. In that general comment, which has since been considered as the key guidance for States parties on this issue, the Committee also elaborates on the implementation of the principle of the best interests of the child.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- The Committees recommend that States parties adopt adequate measures to combat discrimination on any grounds and to protect children from multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, throughout the migration process, including in and after returning to the country of origin, and/or as a result of their migration status. In order to achieve such a goal, States parties should strengthen efforts to combat xenophobia, racism and discrimination and take all appropriate measures to combat such attitudes and practices, and to collect and disseminate accurate, reliable and updated data and information in that regard. States should also promote the social inclusion and full integration of families affected by international migration into the host society and implement programmes for improving knowledge about migration and addressing any negative perceptions regarding migrants, with the aim of protecting children affected by international migration and their families from violence, discrimination, harassment and bullying, and fulfilling their access to rights enshrined in the Conventions and other conventions ratified by each State. In doing so, special attention should be paid to gender-specific and any other challenges and vulnerabilities that may intersect.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- The principle of non-discrimination is fundamental and, in all its facets, applies with respect to children in the context of international migration. All children involved in or affected by international migration are entitled to the enjoyment of their rights, regardless of the children’s or their parents’, legal guardians’ or family members’ age, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation, ethnic or national origin, disability, religion, economic status, migration/documentation status, statelessness, race, colour, marital or family status, health status or other social conditions, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs. This principle is fully applicable to every child and his or her parents, regardless of the reason for moving, whether the child is accompanied or unaccompanied, on the move or otherwise settled, documented or undocumented or with any other status.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child have a duty to ensure that the principles and provisions therein are fully reflected and given legal effect in relevant domestic legislation, policies and practices (art. 4). In all actions concerning children, States should be guided by the overarching principles of non-discrimination (art. 2); the best interests of the child (art. 3); the right to life, survival and development (art. 6); and the right of the child to express his or her views in all matters affecting him or her, and to have those views taken into account (art. 12). States should adopt measures, including legislative and other policy tools, aimed at ensuring that those principles are upheld in practice and brought into the mainstream of all policies affecting children in the context of international migration, and in the interpretation and analysis of the specific obligations as clarified in joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of children in the context of international migration in countries of origin, transit, destination and return.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- States parties should develop a systematic rights-based policy on the collection and public dissemination of qualitative and quantitative data on all children in the context of international migration in order to inform a comprehensive policy aimed at the protection of their rights. Such data should be disaggregated by nationality, migration status, gender, age, ethnicity, disability and all other relevant statuses to monitor intersectional discrimination. The Committees stress the importance of developing indicators to measure the implementation of the rights of all children in the context of international migration, including through a human rights-based approach to data collection and analysis on the causes of unsafe migration of children and/or families. Such information should be available for all stakeholders, including children, in full respect of privacy rights and data protection standards. Civil society organizations and other concerned actors should be able to participate in the process of collecting and evaluating data.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- The present joint general comment addresses the human rights of all children in the context of international migration, whether they have migrated with their parents or primary caregivers, are unaccompanied or separated, have returned to their country of origin, were born to migrant parents in countries of transit or destination, or remained in their country of origin while one or both parents migrated to another country, and regardless of their or their parents’ migration or residence status (migration status). The non-discrimination principle of the Convention on the Rights of the Child obliges States parties to respect and ensure the rights set forth in the Convention to all children, whether they are considered, inter alia, migrants in regular or irregular situations, asylum seekers, refugees, stateless and/or victims of trafficking, including in situations of return or deportation to the country of origin, irrespective of the child’s or the parents’ or legal guardians’ nationality, migration status or statelessness.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 6a
- Paragraph text
- [The present joint general comment also builds on other United Nations resolutions and reports, various outputs of the United Nations human rights mechanisms and United Nations, intergovernmental and civil society initiatives relating to children in the context of international migration, including:] The statement by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the duties of States towards refugees and migrants under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (E/C.12/2017/1), in which the Committee recalled in particular that “protection from discrimination cannot be made conditional upon an individual having a regular status in the host country”, and also recalled that “all children within a State, including those with an undocumented status, had a right to receive education and access to adequate food and affordable health care”;
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Joint general comment No. 3 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 22 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on the general principles regarding the human rights ... 2017, para. 1
- Paragraph text
- The present joint general comment was adopted at the same time as joint general comment No. 4 (2017) of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families and No. 23 (2017) of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on State obligations regarding the human rights of children in the context of international migration in countries of origin, transit, destination and return. While that general comment and the present one are stand-alone documents in their own right, the two complement each other and should be read and implemented together. The drafting process included a series of global and regional consultations held between May and July 2017 with representatives of key stakeholders and experts, including children and migrant organizations, in Bangkok, Beirut, Berlin, Dakar, Geneva, Madrid and Mexico City. In addition, the Committees received more than 80 written contributions from States, United Nations agencies and entities, civil society organizations, national human rights institutions and other stakeholders from every region of the world between November 2015 and August 2017.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- With respect to social security, article 27, paragraph 1, of the Convention provides that all migrant workers and members of their families shall have the right to the same treatment granted to nationals of the State of employment, insofar as they fulfil the requirements provided for by the applicable legislation of that State and the applicable bilateral and multilateral treaties. When a State party enacts legislation providing for the payment of a social benefit, whether conditional or not on the prior payment of contributions, and if the migrant worker concerned fulfils the requirements provided for in such legislation, it cannot arbitrarily exclude him or her from that benefit or limit his or her access to such benefit, as the prohibition of discrimination applies to the right to social security. Accordingly, any distinction based on nationality or migration status must be prescribed by law, pursue a legitimate aim under the Convention, be necessary in the specific circumstances, and be proportionate to the legitimate aim pursued. While States parties enjoy a certain margin of discretion in assessing whether and to what extent differences in otherwise similar situations justify different treatment, they must explain how such different treatment, based exclusively on nationality or migration status, is compatible with articles 7 and 27.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The right to organize and to engage in collective bargaining is essential for migrant workers to express their needs and defend their rights, in particular through trade unions. Article 26 of the Convention sets out the right of all migrant workers to join trade unions and other associations protecting their interests. Article 26 does not provide for protection of the right to form trade unions. This provision, however, read together with other international human rights instruments, may create broader obligations for States parties to both instruments. For example, article 2 of ILO Convention No. 87 (1948) concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Rights to Organise, and article 22, paragraph 1, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both apply to migrant workers in an irregular situation. Article 26 also protects their right to participate in meetings and activities, and to seek the assistance, of trade unions and any other associations established in accordance with law. States parties shall ensure these rights, including the right to collective bargaining, encourage self-organization among migrant workers, irrespective of their migration status, and provide them with information about relevant associations that can provide assistance.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- States parties should require employers to explicitly state in contracts that are free, fair and fully consented to, the terms of employment for migrant workers, including those in an irregular situation, in a language they understand, outlining their specific duties, hours of work, remuneration, days of rest and other conditions of work. They should take effective measures against non-payment of wages, delay in payment until departure, transfer of wages into accounts that are inaccessible to migrant workers, or payment of lower wages to migrant workers, especially those in an irregular situation, than to nationals. States parties should also step up inspections of places where migrant workers are routinely employed and instruct labour inspectorates not to share data concerning the migration status of migrant workers with immigration authorities, as their primary duty is to secure the enforcement of the legal provisions relating to conditions of work and the protection of workers while engaged in their work, in accordance with article 3, paragraph 1 (a), of ILO Convention No. 81 (1947) concerning Labour Inspection in Industry and Commerce.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Article 22, paragraph 6, provides for the person concerned by an expulsion decision to have a reasonable opportunity before or after departure to settle any claims for wages and other entitlements due to him or her and any pending liabilities. This provision echoes article 9, paragraph 1, of ILO Convention No. 143 (1975) concerning Migrations in Abusive Conditions and the Promotion of Equality of Opportunity and Treatment of Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions). The opportunity to settle claims, wages and other benefits must be effective in practice. Migrant workers often encounter problems pursuing legal claims in the State of employment once they have returned to their State of origin, including high litigation costs or difficulties providing evidence. Therefore, States parties should, whenever possible, grant migrant workers and their family members a reasonable period of time prior to their expulsion to claim wages and benefits. States parties should also consider time-bound or expedited legal proceedings to address such claims by migrant workers. In addition, States parties should conclude bilateral agreements so that migrant workers who return to their State of origin may have access to justice in the State of employment to file complaints about abuse and to claim unpaid wages and benefits.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 36d
- Paragraph text
- [In accordance with article 17, paragraph 1, of the Convention, States parties have an obligation to treat migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty with humanity, and with respect for their inherent dignity and cultural identity. In order to respect the inherent dignity of migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty, States parties are obliged to ensure adequate conditions in line with applicable international standards, including the provision of adequate sanitary, bathing and shower facilities; adequate food (including appropriate food for those observing religious dietary laws) and drinking water; the right to communicate with relatives and friends; access to qualified medical personnel, and adequate opportunities to practise their faith, for example. It also requires States parties to ensure that they are not subjected to any form of inhumane treatment, including sexual violence and abuse, by guards or other detainees or inmates. States parties must therefore:] Investigate complaints of torture and other forms of ill-treatment in places where migrant workers or members of their families are deprived of their liberty; and
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 36c
- Paragraph text
- [In accordance with article 17, paragraph 1, of the Convention, States parties have an obligation to treat migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty with humanity, and with respect for their inherent dignity and cultural identity. In order to respect the inherent dignity of migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty, States parties are obliged to ensure adequate conditions in line with applicable international standards, including the provision of adequate sanitary, bathing and shower facilities; adequate food (including appropriate food for those observing religious dietary laws) and drinking water; the right to communicate with relatives and friends; access to qualified medical personnel, and adequate opportunities to practise their faith, for example. It also requires States parties to ensure that they are not subjected to any form of inhumane treatment, including sexual violence and abuse, by guards or other detainees or inmates. States parties must therefore:] Ensure that they have access to effective and independent complaint mechanisms, including access to legal counsel and interpreters;
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 36b
- Paragraph text
- [In accordance with article 17, paragraph 1, of the Convention, States parties have an obligation to treat migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty with humanity, and with respect for their inherent dignity and cultural identity. In order to respect the inherent dignity of migrant workers and members of their families who are deprived of their liberty, States parties are obliged to ensure adequate conditions in line with applicable international standards, including the provision of adequate sanitary, bathing and shower facilities; adequate food (including appropriate food for those observing religious dietary laws) and drinking water; the right to communicate with relatives and friends; access to qualified medical personnel, and adequate opportunities to practise their faith, for example. It also requires States parties to ensure that they are not subjected to any form of inhumane treatment, including sexual violence and abuse, by guards or other detainees or inmates. States parties must therefore:] Enable regular and independent monitoring of places where migrant workers are or may be deprived of their liberty;
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Administrative detention of migrants that is initially lawful and non-arbitrary may become arbitrary if it continues beyond the period for which a State party can provide proper justification. To prevent such a situation from occurring, a maximum period of administrative detention shall be established by law, upon expiry of which a detainee must be automatically released in the absence of such justification. Administrative detention must never be unlimited or of excessive length. The justification for keeping a migrant worker detained shall be reviewed periodically to prevent prolonged and unjustified detention, which would be considered arbitrary. Preventive detention of migrant workers often leads to prolonged detention based on vague criteria. Therefore, such detention should be imposed only following an individual assessment in each case and for the shortest time possible, in compliance with all procedural safeguards provided for in article 16 of the Convention. In cases where an expulsion order cannot be executed for reasons beyond the detained migrant worker's control, he or she shall be released in order to avoid potentially indefinite detention.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of migrant workers in an irregular situation and members of their families 2013, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- Article 7 requires States parties "to respect and to ensure" to all migrant workers and members of their families without discrimination the rights provided for in the Convention. Article 7 does not provide an autonomous right. Its application is limited to those rights of migrant workers and members of their families in an irregular situation that are protected in the Convention, and in particular Part III. Article 7 covers both de jure and de facto discrimination. In this context, de jure refers to discrimination that exists in the law, and de facto refers to discrimination that exists in fact or has an effect even though not formally or legally recognized. States parties shall respect the prohibition of discrimination by ensuring that their laws, regulations and administrative practices do not discriminate against migrant workers and members of their families. The Committee is of the view that merely addressing de jure discrimination will not ensure de facto equality. Therefore, States parties shall protect the rights under the Convention for all migrant workers by adopting positive measures to prevent, diminish and eliminate the conditions and attitudes which cause or perpetuate de facto discrimination against them.
- Body
- Committee on Migrant Workers
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph