The Human Rights and Refugees Program at QUNO-Geneva has begun to work explicitly on the intersection between racial justice and migration governance seeking to bring an anti-racist approach and analysis to our work on migration. The purpose of this paper is to briefly outline new UN mechanisms and highlight our initial ideas of possible actions and ways to engage during this time to further action on racial justice and migration governance. In response to the massive protests and calls for racial justice in 2020, the High Commissioner for Human Rights set out an agenda for transformative change for racial justice. New processes create entry points for States to build on, complement, and accelerate an anti-racism agenda, including on migration.
Some examples include:
- the International Independent Expert Mechanism can hold consultations with migrants on their experiences of law enforcement and systemic racism
- the Permanent Forum of People of African Descent can develop specific recommendations on migration governance for States.
- In the run-up and during the International Migration Review Forum, opportunities can be created for advancing racial justice within the implementation of the Global Compact for Migration.
Working for racial justice is central to working for migration justice and we are committed to building a world without violence where dignity and rights are upheld regardless of migration status and not on the basis of citizenship or perceived deservedness.