UN Committee on Migrant Workers publishes findings on Congo, Senegal and Türkiye

GENEVA (19 June 2024) - The UN Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW) today issued its findings on the Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Türkiye.

The findings contain the Committee’s main concerns and recommendations on the implementation of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, as well as positive aspects. Key highlights include:

Congo
The Committee commended the several measures taken by Congo to combat trafficking in persons and exploitation and to improve birth registration. It, however, was concerned about the lack of detailed information and statistics on many migration-related issues. It recommended that the State party establish a system to collect data on the situation of migrant workers and their families, particularly those in an irregular situation, and provide publicly available statistics on foreign migrant workers, migrant workers in transit, nationals working abroad and their employment conditions, to effectively promote human rights-based migration policies.

The Committee also remained concerned about the information received on child labour in the informal sector and the fact that children often work in dangerous conditions. The Committee called for a national plan to reduce and eliminate child labour. It asked Congo to provide necessary assistance, including psychosocial rehabilitation, to migrant workers, especially children, who have been victims of labour exploitation, increase unannounced and spontaneous labour inspections, especially in the informal sector, as well as to prosecute and punish those exploiting migrant workers, in particular children.

Senegal
The Committee welcomed Senegal’s adoption of legislation and strategies to combat trafficking in persons and irregular migration. It, however, regretted the lack of a comprehensive plan on migration, a lack of a national coordination mechanism, and the shortcomings in processing disaggregated data about migrant workers. The Committee recommended the adoption of a comprehensive strategy on migration and a centralized system to collect data on migrant workers and their families, particularly those in irregular situations, in cooperation with the African Union Migration Observatory.

The Committee expressed its concern about the alleged exploitation of “talibé/koranic students” children, particularly those from neighbouring countries such as Guinea, Mali, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, and the failure to reintegrate them into their families of origin. It also raised its concern over economic exploitation, particularly of migrant domestic workers and of children in gold mines. The Committee reiterated its previous recommendations to scale up the fight against this worrying phenomenon and ensure the perpetrators of forced labour and exploitation, especially children, are held accountable.

Türkiye
The Committee recognized Türkiye’s efforts in safeguarding the rights of migrant workers and their families, including as one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries. It, however, noted with concerns the continued reports of arbitrary detention and the detention of children, people with disabilities and others in vulnerable situations. It called on the State party to effectively implement alternatives to administrative detention, ensure that measures are taken to prevent arbitrary and unlawful detention, and cease migration-related detention of migrant workers and their families who are in vulnerable situations, in law and in practice.

The Committee also voiced its concern about information received on the large scale of expulsion of migrants, in addition to reports of involuntary returns. It called on the State party to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition of collective and arbitrary expulsion by thoroughly evaluating each case individually and by transparently investigating allegations of coercion.

The above findings, officially known as Concluding Observations, are now available on the session page.