Statement presented by the ADH, non-governmental organization in special consultative status with ECOSOC, at the 55th session of the Human Rights Council.

A considerable number of migrants lost their lives or disappeared in 2023 while seeking to find a better life. Many of these people, who travel the world’s most dangerous land routes to save their lives, come from African countries. More than 100,000 migrants who attempted to cross Europe last year came from Tunisia, nearly 45,000 from Libya and a few others from Ivory Coast, Egypt and Guinea. Between January and August 2023, there were almost 114,300 irregular migrant arrivals in Italy across the Mediterranean from North Africa. This is almost twice as much as during the same period in 2022.

It is necessary to highlight an important case of violation of the rights of immigrants, which urgently requires the attention of the Council. In addition to the suffering that asylum seekers endure at every stage of their journey, they are regularly victims of repression and systematic abuse in certain transit countries. Let us give the example of Tunisia where abuses are not limited to undocumented migrants, but also extend to refugees, students and workers from Sub-Saharan Africa. And even those who manage to reach the destination country, their families have to face new problems and threats. The tragic number of children who die seeking asylum and safety in Europe is alarming.

The Global Compact on Refugees should reflect the political will and ambition of the international community as a whole to strengthen cooperation and solidarity with refugees and affected host countries. But in fact, we think that the international community underestimates the value of this Pact. For ADH, the alarming and pathetic situation of immigrants is only the result of political choices and a defective migration system. Migration is a multidimensional historical phenomenon that touches on humanitarian issues, human rights and demographic issues; therefore supporting migrants in the face of threats requires the integration and coordinated action of the entire international community.

A/HRC/55/NGO/112
Human Rights Council
Fifty-fifth session
26 February–5 April 2024
Agenda item 4
Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention