UN condemns death of 39 migrants; calls for independent investigation

The Committee of the United Nations for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human rightscondemned the events that occurred at the immigration station in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, which led to the death of 39 migrants and asylum seekers, and called for prompt, exhaustive, and independent investigations into what happened.

In a statement, in addition to expressing their deep condolences to the families of the victims, the experts declared that the tragic events “require a prompt, exhaustive, and independent investigation,” since “they occurred in the custody of state authorities, since the deceased and injured people were deprived of liberty in the framework of the implementation of the immigration policy.

They mentioned that the Committee, during 2017, expressed its concern about the widespread use of immigration detention and the conditions of the people held in the detention centers known as immigration stations, this during the evaluation of the third periodic report presented by the Mexican State.

On that occasion, the experts recommended that an action plan be developed to ensure that the detention of migrants was a measure of last resort and that it was carried out for the shortest possible time; In addition, guarantee decent and adequate conditions in the facilities, eliminating the use of punishment cells and “putting an end to situations of overcrowding and overpopulation.”

On the other hand, they announced that, in October of last year, the Committee urged Mexico to implement an action plan “redoubling efforts to guarantee adequate conditions in immigration detention centers, including the absence of any form of sanction, isolation or similar practices”.

It was also recommended that all appropriate measures be taken to prevent human rights abuses in said immigration stations, investigating promptly and independently when they occur, imposing sanctions and providing reparation measures to the victims.

Given the events that occurred in Ciudad Juárez, the experts urged the State to implement the aforementioned recommendations for the benefit of the migrant population and their families. In addition, they urged the authorities to “properly gather evidence on the causes of death, duly identify the victims and inform their families, and provide the necessary support for the transfer of the bodies.”

While for the injured they requested that they be provided with the necessary medical and psychological care for their speedy and full recovery.