Human Rights for Refugees & Migrants: UNHCR (New York) Briefing | Security Council | United Nations

Summary

Miss Ruben Manik Diwella, representing UNHCR, addressed the UN Security Council, highlighting the alarming rise in irregular sea movements of refugees and migrants from North Africa to Europe. She reported a significant increase in arrivals, with over 102,000 attempting to cross the Mediterranean in 2024, and a disturbing rise in deaths. Diwella stressed the need for better human rights safeguards, increased search-and-rescue operations, and improved border management. She also called for greater cooperation to combat smuggling and trafficking, along with expanded resettlement pathways for refugees. The UNHCR’s focus is on holistic solutions addressing root causes and providing safe migration options.

Takeaways

• 😀 UNHCR emphasizes the ongoing humanitarian crisis involving refugees and migrants making irregular sea movements from North Africa to Europe, leading to significant loss of life.
• 😀 Between January and August 2024, over 102,000 refugees and migrants attempted to cross the central Mediterranean Sea from Tunisia alone, marking a 260% increase from the previous year.
• 😀 The situation also worsened in Libya, with over 45,000 migrants attempting the journey, and a total of 186,000 sea arrivals in Southern Europe by September 2024.
• 😀 By September 24, 2024, over 2,500 people had been reported dead or missing, marking a two-thirds increase from the same period in the previous year.
• 😀 Many refugees face extreme dangers not just at sea, but also on land, particularly along the perilous migration routes from sub-Saharan Africa to Libya.
• 😀 Tunisia's high migration rates are partly due to insecurity within refugee communities, exacerbated by racist attacks, hate speech, and collective expulsions from neighboring countries like Libya and Algeria.
• 😀 UNHCR is concerned about the appalling conditions in detention centers in Libya, where thousands of refugees face human rights violations.
• 😀 The humanitarian organization stresses that Libya is not a safe place for disembarkation following sea rescues, highlighting the need for a better mechanism for refugee protection.
• 😀 UNHCR calls for regional cooperation, including establishing a redistribution mechanism for refugees arriving by sea, to prevent placing the entire burden on frontline states like Italy.
• 😀 Four key recommendations from UNHCR include: safeguarding human rights in border management, increasing search and rescue operations, prosecuting human traffickers, and expanding resettlement pathways for refugees.

Q & A

What was the main focus of Miss Ruben Manik Diwella's speech to the UN Security Council?

Miss Ruben Manik Diwella’s speech primarily focused on the protection and human rights of refugees and migrants involved in irregular sea movements from North Africa to Europe, highlighting the grave humanitarian crisis, the tragic loss of lives, and the urgent need for a coordinated international response.

How many refugees and migrants attempted to cross the central Mediterranean Sea from Tunisia in 2024?

In 2024, it was estimated that over 102,000 refugees and migrants attempted to cross the central Mediterranean Sea to Europe from Tunisia, marking a 260% increase compared to the previous year.

What was the estimated number of arrivals by sea to southern Europe in 2024?

By September 24th, 2024, over 186,000 people had arrived by sea in southern Europe, including countries like Italy, Greece, Spain, Cyprus, and Malta.

What was the number of people accounted as dead or missing in the Mediterranean by September 2024?

By September 2024, over 2,500 people were accounted as dead or missing in the Mediterranean, which represents a two-thirds increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

What are some of the key reasons for the high departure rates of refugees from Tunisia?

The high departure rates from Tunisia are driven by insecurity among refugee communities, following incidents of racially motivated attacks, hate speech, and collective expulsions from Libya and Algeria.

What does UNHCR continue to advocate for regarding refugees and asylum seekers in Libya?

UNHCR advocates for the registration of all refugees and asylum seekers in Libya and seeks Libya’s support to ensure access to and appropriate responses for them, despite restrictions in registration and disembarkation.

Why is Libya considered unsafe for the disembarkation of refugees and migrants after rescue operations?

Libya is not considered a safe place for the disembarkation of refugees and migrants because of the dangerous conditions in its detention centers and the ongoing conflict and instability in the country.

What is UNHCR's stance on border management in relation to human rights?

UNHCR supports effective border management that respects human rights, recognizing that states have the sovereign right to manage borders, but this should not come at the expense of refugees' rights to seek asylum or be subjected to inhumane treatment.

What are the four urgent recommendations proposed by UNHCR in the speech?

The four urgent recommendations proposed by UNHCR are: 1) Ensure human rights safeguards in cooperation with border management authorities, 2) Increase search and rescue efforts at sea, 3) Prosecute smugglers and traffickers while protecting their victims, and 4) Expand resettlement and complementary pathways for refugees.

What key event does UNHCR call for in December 2024 to advance commitments on refugee protection?

UNHCR is organizing the **Second Global Refugee Forum** in Geneva from December 13–15, 2024, and calls on states and stakeholders to make transformational pledges to address the challenges of mixed migration and implement the recommended actions to save lives.