Defence for Children International (DCI), on behalf of the NGO Panel on Children Deprived of Liberty, delivered a statement at the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council during Item 3 – Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.
The NGO Panel expressed deep concern over the growing trend towards the externalisation of migration governance, warning that such policies can expose children to rights violations, including deprivation of liberty, family separation, and barriers to seeking asylum. The Panel reaffirmed that the detention of children on the basis of their own or their parents’ migration status is never in their best interests and is incompatible with children’s rights.
The NGO Panel called on Member States to:
- Ensure independent monitoring and child rights impact assessments of migration policies,
- Prioritise rights-based and sustainable migration systems,
- Guarantee child-sensitive asylum procedures and legal support, and
- Implement the recommendations of the UN Global Study on Children Deprived of Liberty.
Read the full statement here
Watch the delivery at the United Nations: