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Migrants
Country Visits
USA - September 29 to October 2
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The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conducted a visit to the southern border of the United States of America, from September 29 to October 2, 2014. The delegation was headed by Commissioner Felipe González Morales, Rapporteur on the Rights of Migrants and the Country Rapporteur for the United States, and Commissioner Rosa María Ortiz, Rapporteur on the Rights of the Child.
The purpose of this visit was to monitor the human rights situation of unaccompanied children and families who have crossed the southern border of the United States, with respect of their apprehension, immigration detention over long periods of time, immigration procedures as well as deportations and removals. During the visit, the IACHR delegation visited Hidalgo, McAllen, Harlingen, Karnes City and San Antonio. The Commission held meetings with state authorities, civil society organizations, victims of human rights violations and consulates of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
Dominican Republic - December 2-6, 2013
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conducted an on-site visit to the Dominican Republic on December 2-5, 2013, in response to an invitation by the State. The purpose of the visit was to observe the situation related to the rights to nationality, identity, and equal protection without discrimination, along with other related rights and issues. The Commission carried out this visit to oversee compliance with the international commitments made freely by the State of the Dominican Republic in exercise of its sovereignty.
- Press Release: IACHR Wraps Up Visit to the Dominican Republic
- Preliminary Observations from the IACHR’s Visit to the Dominican Republic
- Photo gallery on Flickr
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Visit the website where you can find more information, links and pictures
Colombia - December 3 to 7
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) carried out an onsite visit to Colombia December 3 -7, 2012, in response to an invitation from the State, in order to observe the human rights situation in the country. The delegation was composed of the Chair, José de Jesús Orozco Henríquez; the First Vice-Chair, Tracy Robinson; the Second Vice-Chair, Felipe González; and Commissioners Rosa María Ortiz and Rose-Marie Antoine, as well as Executive Secretary Emilio Álvarez Icaza L., Assistant Executive Secretary Elizabeth Abi-Mershed, and staff of the Executive Secretariat. During the visit, various IAHCR delegations visited Bogotá (D.C.), Quibdó (Chocó), Medellín (Antioquia), and Popayán (Cauca), where they met with authorities of the State, civil society organizations, victims of human rights violations, and representatives of international agencies.
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Mexico - July 25 to August 2, 2011
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conducted a visit to Mexico from July 25 to August 2, 2011, in order to observe the situation of human rights of migrants and others in the context of human mobility in Mexico. The delegation was headed by Commissioner Felipe González Morales, Rapporteur on the Rights of Migrants, and made up by the then Executive Secretary of the Commission, Santiago A. Canton; the specialist lawyer of the Rapporteurship, Alvaro Botero Navarro, and the Director of Press and Communications of the IACHR, María Isabel Rivero. The delegation visited Mexico City; Oaxaca and Ixtepec, in the state of Oaxaca; Tapachula and Ciudad Hidalgo, in the state of Chiapas; Tierra Blanca, Veracruz, in the state of Veracruz; and Reynosa and San Fernando in the state of Tamaulipas. The Rapporteur met with authorities, civil society and international agencies.
During the visit, the delegation observed the serious perils that migrants, both foreign and Mexican nationals, face in their travels through Mexico. During their travels, migrants fall victim to murder, disappearance, abduction and rape. Foreign immigrants are also victims of discrimination. Testimonies of migrants who were kidnapped and escaped, witnesses of killings of dozens of people during his captivity, migrants who were kidnapped along with several hundred people, were received, among others. The Rapporteurship heard testimony from mothers who are searching for their missing children and from wives, brothers and sisters who are looking for their loved ones. It also heard corroborating testimony about the existence of kidnappings for extortion, for sexual exploitation and for human trafficking. In general, the persons who provided this testimony to the Commission said that they had not reported these cases to the authorities for fear of reprisals on the part of organized crime or agents of the state.
After the visit, the Commission published the report "Human rights of migrants and others in the context of human mobility in Mexico"
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United States, July 2009
On July 24 to 29, 2009, Commissioner Felipe González, in his capacity as Rapporteur on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families, along with two attorneys from the Executive Secretariat, made a visit to detention centers in the U.S. states of Arizona and Texas. During the visit, the IACHR’s delegation visited two shelters for unaccompanied minors, a family detention center, and three adult detention centers. The delegation also met with representatives of civil society organizations that work with migration issues in the United States. The purpose of the visit was to gather information from detention officials, detainees, and representatives of civil society organizations regarding the enforcement of immigration rules, detention conditions, and due process issues in the United States. This information will be incorporated in the report that the IACHR is currently preparing on the subject.
At the end of the visit, the Rapporteur concluded that in spite of certain recent adjustments to the immigrant detention system in the United States, many of the men, women, and children at the centers he visited were being held in unacceptable conditions and that in many cases, their right to due process has been violated. The Rapporteur’s office has issued its preliminary observations on the visit, identifying areas of concern in the policies and practices of the United States regarding the enforcement of rules, detention conditions, and due process.
Guatemala, March, 2003
From March 24 to 29, 2003, the Commission conducted an on-site visit to the Republic of Guatemala, at the invitation of the government of President Alfonso Portillo, to observe the situation of human rights in that country. Within the participants of the visit was the Rapporteur for Migrant Workers.
Mexico, July and August, 2002
At the invitation of the Government of the United Mexican States, a delegation of the Commission consisting of President and Rapporteur on Migrant Workers and their Families Juan E. Mendez, Secretariat staff attorney Mario Lopez, and Rapporteurship staff attorneys Andreas Feldmann and Helena Olea, conducted a working visit to that country from July 24 to August 1, 2002. The purposes of the visit were to hold a number of working meetings on follow up and friendly settlement of individual cases, to undertake promotional activities, and to examine the situation of the rights of migrant workers and their families in Mexico. In this regard, the Rapporteurship delegation visited numerous locations pertinent to migrant workers including the Ixtapalapa migrant center in the Federal District and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua on the northern border of Mexico.
Costa Rica, July, 2002
During the 22 to 24 July 2002, the Special Rapporteur for migrant workers and members of their families and his team carried out a visit to the State of Costa Rica, at the request expresses of the Costa Rican Government with the aim of making a report of the situation facing migrant workers and their families in that country.
Guatemala, March, 2002
In response to the invitation of the Government of Guatemala, the Special Rapporteur team led by Juan e. Méndez visited Guatemala between 19 and 24 March 2002.
Report of On-Site Visit to Guatemala
Costa Rica, November, 2001
Two members of the Rapporteurship’s team visited Costa Rica from November 19 through 21, 2001, with the objective of gathering information on the situation of migrant workers in Costa Rica as well as background material with respect to the implementation of the agreement on the assisted return of extra-regional migrants. This agreement is an intergovernmental initiative designed to expedite the return of undocumented migrants who are not from Central America, and would be implemented by the International Organization for Migration.
The Rapporteurship of Migrant Workers prepared a draft report concerning this visit, which was transmitted to the Government of Costa Rica on March 15, 2002, with a request that the latter present its observations and comments within 30 days. On April 15, 2002, that Government presented its observations on the draft report. These observations will be carefully studied and assessed by the Rapporteurship.
Texas – United States, July, 1999
The Commission conducted an on-site visit of a special character to El Paso, Texas, from July 6 to 9, 1999, for the purpose of analyzing the situation of migrant workers and their families in that state. During their visit, Commission members held meetings with different representatives and officials from the federal government, Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) and nongovernmental organizations, among others. Similarly, they visited different detention centers and border patrol locations.
Additionally, the Commission met with members of the Bar of El Paso, Texas, immigration advocates and representatives of the human rights organizations who interact daily with immigrants, asylees and migrants.
The Commission visited the El Paso Processing Center and Detention Facility of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Southwest Key Juvenile Center, United States Border Patrol Sector Headquarters, Paso del Norte Border Patrol Processing Center, Ysleta Port of Entry, Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry, and El Paso del Norte Port of Entry.
Furthermore, the Commission received information on issues relevant to the purpose of its visit, which included the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s mandate, procedures for processing asylum seekers and migrants, Operation Hold the Line, the expedited removal procedure under the Immigration Act, conditions of detention, access to attorneys and legal representation, trafficking of migrants, alleged human rights abuses of migrants, as well as the educational, working, medical and housing conditions of migrants there.
United States, July, 1998
At the invitation of the Government of the United States, the IACHR made an on-site visit to the state of California from July 6 to 9, in order to observe the processes of immigration and asylum in the region.
Canada, October, 1997
At the invitation of the Federal Government of Canada, the Commission visited that country from October 20 to 22, 1997. The purpose of its visit was to observe the process of determining how a person is granted refugee status in Canada and the remedies that that country offers to those who request it. During their visit, the Commission members visited Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal.