December 18

Europe’s Own Human Rights Crisis

Date: 24/01/2012 - 09:06

In a separate essay in its World Report 2012, HRW analyses long-term trends on human rights in Europe. It concludes that declining respect for rights, weak enforcement when violations do occur, the growing influence of extremist parties, and the retreat from the idea that rights apply equally to everyone amount to a crisis that demands urgent action.

Call for more coordinated approach to child protection in West Africa

Date: 05/01/2012 - 08:13

A new report on child migration in West Africa says thousands of children are being sold, exchanged or transported out of their communities each year in violation of internationally-recognized rights of the child, and calls on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to persuade governments to better protect these children.

Will migrants matter in then Mexican vote?

Date: 05/01/2012 - 07:58

The clock is ticking as the registration deadline fast approaches for Mexican expatriates to vote in their country of origin’s presidential election this year. Although Mexican election officials are confident a late rush of applications will mean greater absentee participation than in the 2006 election, preliminary reports of the number of applications received indicate few expatriates will vote in the 2012 race.

Indonesia: Workers sent home $6 billion

Date: 02/01/2012 - 08:14

Despite disruptions to labor agreements last year, Indonesians working abroad managed to send home US$6.1 billion in 2011. Some argue that this figure is too small to be ignored, and challenge the government to step up its efforts to protect the safety of its citizens working abroad.

Anis Hidayah, executive director of Migrant Care, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) focused on workers’ rights, repeated the call in response to the remittances the migrant workers sent home.

Give the gift of a day off for your domestic worker this holiday

Date: 19/12/2011 - 21:55

Domestic workers from 12 countries in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East are taking to the streets on Monday 19th December to demand better rights including one day off a week and an eight-hour working day for the 53 million domestic workers worldwide.

The global campaign aims to put in place the ILO convention for domestic workers, which needs two countries to ratify the convention to bring it into force, and introduce decent laws in countries where domestic workers are most under threat.

Cyprus continues illegal detentions in contempt of national and international court decisions

Date: 05/01/2012 - 08:23

The Republic of Cyprus has repeatedly been criticised in recent years by a number of organisations, such as the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, human rights organisations, the most recent being Amnesty International, on matters relating to detention and deportation of third-country nationals, especially concerning the duration of detention and the absence of effective judicial procedures for reviewing administration decisions.

US-Mexico: A Changing Climate of Violence in the Borderlands

Date: 05/01/2012 - 08:07

As the end of the calendar year has passed, a numerical image associated with the various wars (on migrants, terrorism, and drugs) waged by the federal government in the Southwest borderlands has emerged. The ugly picture is surely to become even more dreadful in a context of climate change—that is, unless there is a radical change in the nature of the U.S.-Mexico boundary and a sharp decrease in the socio-economic inequities that the border reflects and helps to reproduce.

Trade Unions Sign MOU to Organize Migrant Workers in Malaysia

Date: 05/01/2012 - 08:29

In conjunction with the 2011 International Migrants Day (December 18), trade unions from Malaysia and throughout the Asia Pacific region have committed to enhance their cooperation to organize and promote the rights of migrant workers and their families.

Bahrain Commission report details deadly pogroms against migrant workers

Date: 02/01/2012 - 08:32

Amidst the violence of Bahrain’s revolution, an uprising broadly characterized by violent clashes between pro-democracy protestors and government security forces, a different and equally disturbing narrative was taking place throughout the country.

Irregular Migration in Europe

Date: 21/12/2011 - 10:12

While irregular migration frequently makes headlines and policymakers are under increasing pressure to reduce illegal immigration, the estimated population of unauthorized immigrants in EU-15 countries has declined on average for almost a decade since 2002. European governments are collaborating extensively on the management of their external borders, as this report details, discussing the detected and estimated scope of irregular migration in the European Union.