UN Special Rapporteur to assess migration policies in Bangladesh

GENEVA (20 January 2023) - The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Felipe González Morales, will conduct an official visit to Bangladesh from 20 to 31 January 2023.

The Special Rapporteur will assess migration governance-related policies and their implementation, including in the area of international labour migration, with a particular focus on pathways for regular and decent labour migration, ethical recruitment, efforts made to facilitate safe and dignified return, measures to ensure protection of migrant workers, and legal access to the labour market for migrants and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

In Dhaka, González Morales will meet with relevant Government authorities, UN agencies, members of civil society organisations, recruitment agencies and migrants. He will also travel to the Cox’s Bazaar district to meet with Rohingya refugees.

At the end of his visit, the Special Rapporteur will share his preliminary observations and recommendations at a press conference on Tuesday, 31 January, at 15:00 (GMT+6), to be held at the Bronze Room, Level 4, The Westin Hotel, Gulshan Avenue, Plot-01 Rd 45, Dhaka 1212. To register for the press conference please contact: hrc-sr-migrant@un.org. Access is strictly limited to journalists.

He will present a full report on his visit, including findings and recommendations, to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2023.

ENDS

Mr. Felipe González Morales (Chile) was appointed Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants in June 2017 by the UN Human Rights Council, for an initial period of three years. His mandate was renewed for three additional years in June 2020. As a Special Rapporteur, he is independent from any government or organization and serves in his individual capacity. He is Professor of International Law at the Diego Portales University, in Santiago, Chile, where he is also the Director of a Master’s programme in International Human Rights Law.

The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights country page – Bangladesh