Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon on Monday called on member countries to uphold the safety and dignity of refugees and migrants and commit to a global compact on responsibility-sharing.
Ban in a report released in New York, also urged member states to develop and adopt a global compact for safe, regular and orderly migration.
The report, titled ‘In Safety and Dignity: Addressing the Large-Scale Movements of Refugees and Migrants,’ provides a global overview of trends, analyses and causes of large movements of refugees and migrants.
It also discusses refugees and migrants specific needs while on the journey and when they arrive at their destinations.
The UN chief released the report in preparation for the UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) High-Level Meeting on the Large-Scale Movements of Refugees and Migrants, which will convene in September in New York.
The report noted the frequent occurrence of discrimination and xenophobia against refugees and migrants, and called for their human rights, safety and dignity to be protected.
The Secretary-General also noted with concern the growing trend to criminalise irregular movements.
He reminded member states that international law makes it clear that asylum seekers’ use of irregular means of entry should not be held against them.
Ban also urged states to consider alternatives to detention for the purposes of immigration control, and to adopt a commitment never to detain children for this purpose.
The report also called on member states to move away from securitising and closing their borders and to move towards creating more opportunities for safe, regular and orderly migration.
Furthermore, Ban urged them to review their border policies in light of the UN Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) 10-Point Plan of Action on Refugee Protection and Mixed Migration.
Other recommendations in the report include a more predictable and equitable way of responding to large movements of refugees, through the adoption of a Global Compact for Safe, Regular and Orderly Migration.
NAN reports that the General Assembly will on Sept. 19, host a high-level meeting to address large movements of refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing countries together behind a more humane and coordinated approach.
According to the Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2015 Revision, nearly two thirds of international migrants, 76 million, live in Europe.
It showed that another 75 million are in Asia and 54 million others North America.
Furthermore, it added that two-thirds of all international migrants were reported to be living in only 20 countries, with the largest number in the U.S., followed by Germany, Russia, and Saudi Arabia.
The UN also said no fewer than 50 million people were currently displaced by war and violence, some 33.3 million in their own country and some 16.7 million as refugees, mostly in neighbouring countries.
In 2015 alone, the UN says, no fewer than 10 million people were newly displaced; every 15 minutes, one family was forced into flight.
The world body also said the ongoing conflict in Syria, as well as crises in Iraq, Ukraine, South Sudan, Central African Republic, northeastern Nigeria and parts of Pakistan, had led to a staggering growth and acceleration of global forced displacement.(NAN)