Mr. President,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of 53 Countries.

We echo the concerns expressed by Madame High Commissioner in her oral update to the Council over the violations of the rights of migrants around the world.

We are deeply concerned over the growing intolerance against ethnic minorities and migrants nurtured by racism, racial discrimination, terrorism, extremism, hate speech and Islamophobia. Some countries have not taken appropriate measures to prevent the resurgence of Neo-Nazism, racial superiority exacerbation, and measures to put an end to racial discrimination and hate speech, even try to justify these manifestations under the pretext of freedom of expression.

We are concerned when both children and adults migrants are held in detention without due process safeguards, leading to the separation of the children from their families. Migrant children could bear scars for life from detention. It is imperative to look after the best interest of the child in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child in this regard. Some in disregard of the right to life of migrants, criminalize the work of humanitarian rescue vessels and search planes. Some restrict ethnic minorities from normal commercial activities and close the markets owned by particular ethnic minorities. Some keep asylum-seekers in offshore detention centers in harsh conditions, where suicide and self-harm take place at a persistently high rate.

We call upon the Human Rights Council to pay more attention to the migrants’ rights of life, work, health education and dignity. We urge those states to fulfill their international human rights obligations, stop policies that violate human rights, fully implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action. We urge them to take credible steps to combat racism, racial discrimination, populism, hate speeches, xenophobia.

Thank you, Mr. President.