United Methodist Women Joins Statement on Human Rights of Migrants
United Methodist Women has endorsed a statement shared with the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on September 17 regarding the human rights of migrants in detention and detention policies. The statement was prepared by the International Detention Coalition in conjunction with United Methodist Women partner, the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (NNIRR), Migrants Forum in Asia and Migrant Rights International, and has been endorsed by 136 other groups.
The meeting, the first of its kind, aims to “explore current trends, good practices, challenges and possible solutions and explore ways to prevent violations of migrants’ human rights, and reduce the overuse and duration of detention of irregular migrants,” according to the UN.
In addition, NNIRR will share information gathered through their HURRICANE project, a program supported by the General Board of Global Ministries and United Methodist Women. The Human Rights Immigrant Community Action Network (HURRICANE) documents the systematic violation of the human rights of families, communities and workers in the US by law enforcement agencies. The program trains community members to collect data on human rights abuses. For a copy of the 2008 report, click here.
“It is a significant step to remind governments that migrant detention is bound by international law and international human rights commitments,” commented Carol Barton, Women’s Division executive working on migration issues. “It builds on the United Methodist Church’s affirmation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families and the importance of the United Nations and international law in addressing domestic rights concerns.”
The joint statement expresses concern for the growing use of detention as a “migration management tool” by governments, with less and less distinction as to legal status, age, gender and circumstance (including the detention of refugees and asylum seekers). It affirms basic human rights standards regarding the detention of migrants, including:
· Refugees and asylum seekers, children, pregnant and nursing mothers, survivors of torture or trauma, victims of human trafficking, the elderly and disabled, and those in need of urgent physical or mental health care should not be placed in migration-related detention.
· Children should not be detained or separated from their caregivers for migration-related purposes.
· States should only use detention as a measure of last resort
· No one should be subject to indefinite detention. No one shall be subject to arbitrary detention.
· Detention must ensure the human rights and dignity of the person and that conditions of detention comply with basic minimum human rights standards. There must be regular independent monitoring of places of detention to ensure that these standards are met.
United Methodist Women are engaged in a priority focus on Immigrant/Civil Rights. While this has primarily addressed concerns regarding immigrants and immigration policy in the United States, migration and enforcement issues is a global issue. This is addressed in a 2008 General Conference resolution, “Global Migration: A Quest for Justice” [Book of Resolutions 2008 p. 754] which links the massive movement of peoples to economic and military upheavals, the impact of globalization, and the unequal distribution of wealth and resources globally.
United Methodist Women has been engaged in public witness to challenge current Department of Homeland Security policy regarding raids, detentions and the deportation of undocumented immigrants. Esmeralda Brown, Executive for Global Justice, comments, “This is an opportunity to link our work on enforcement and detention of immigrants in the US to the international human rights agenda. The work we do creates tools for advocacy that have a direct bearing on what’s happening in our communities.”
The Book of Resolutions defines immigration as a human rights issue (p. 412). It states, "Raids of workplaces, homes and other social places have often violated the civil liberties of migrants. It calls for the "elimination of indefinite detention, incarceration of children, and the expanding prison population, which also benefits privately owned detention centers and prisons" and the "preservation of due process and access to courts and to adequate legal representation for all migrants regardless of legal status" (p. 420).
In "Global Migration: A Quest for Justice," the United Methodist Church commits itself to provide real help for refugees, asylees and migrants including "programs that humanely respond to migrants within their borders-- defending their human rights..."; "work with civic and legal organizations to help communities to alleviate social conditions caused by harsh immigration laws and heavy-handed national security measures"; "defense of civil liberties regardless of the legal status of persons"; "abolishment of governmental anti-terrorism policies and practices that criminalize or profile refugees and immigrants as threats to national security; and adoption by all nations of the UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and their Families, and mobilization to promote compliance with the terms of the convention."
For a full copy of the statement and list of signatories, click here. (PDF)