UN sees human rights of migrants threatened
Sudanese refugees in front of the grounds of a medical convoy for new arrivals in Egypt. photo
© Lobna Tarek/dpa
Volker Türk, the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, strongly criticizes the increasing violation of the rights of those seeking protection in various countries. The situation in Sudan is particularly bad.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, the rights of migrants are increasingly being disregarded. Developments, particularly in the USA, Great Britain, Italy and Greece, give cause for great concern, Türk said in Geneva.
Laws would be created with the aim of pushing back those seeking protection in an “unlawful, undignified and intolerable manner”. “We need solidarity to ensure that all vulnerable people are treated with humanity and respect,” Turk said. The UN High Commissioner reminded that violations of human rights are not concentrated in just a few states. Every state can do even better on this issue.
The situation is currently particularly bad in Sudan, where conditions prevail that can hardly be described, Türk continued. “It is heartbreaking what is happening in Sudan.” In the country in north-east Africa, a long-simmering power struggle has escalated and put people in dire need.
According to Türk, one of the bright spots is the improvement in human rights in Zambia and Sierra Leone: Both countries have now abolished the death penalty. Overall, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is underfunded and understaffed in view of the multitude of problems. Ideally, the budget should be doubled to $800 million, Turk said.