Statement by Political Coordinator, Minister-Counsellor Gustavo Sénéchal, in the Arria-Formula meeting on Migrants, Refugees and Asylum-Seekers - July 13th, 2023

Madam President,

I thank Russia for organizing this meeting and the briefers for the invaluable information they provided.

According to the last UNHCR`s Global Trends Report, more than 108.4 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced at the end of 2022, as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations and events seriously disturbing public order. Low and middle income countries bear most of the brunt, by nearly hosting 90% of them. We should witness another historic record at the end 2023. This highlights the fact that solutions continue to fall short of gworing and recurring needs.

This phenomenon has been high on the international agenda for decades and seen a rising trend over the last years, except during the COVID pandemic. Its continuity speaks volumes about the choices we have made so far to address it. It is unlikely that any delegation here would disagree that migration and forced displacement are multidimensional by nature. They require complex responses, which only the appropriate fora can provide.

We have been failing the millions of migrants, refugees, asylum-seeker and internally displaced people in desperate need of protection precisely because we have been looking into this matter too much through the lenses of security.

Migrants and forcibly displaced people should not be treated as a threat to international peace and security. Rather, they are the ones paying a high price for the inability of the international community, especially the Security Council, to reduce conflict and promote durable peace.

Madam President,

Countries have the legitimate, sovereign right to control their borders and the influx of foreigners, since they are primarily responsible for ensuring the security and social order in their territories. However, migration itself should never be considered a criminal offense. The ones to be held criminally accountable must be those who exploit, for their own gain, the vulnerability of people who are escaping conflicts and hardship to provide a better and safer life for themselves and their close ones. 

The separation of children from their families, long detention periods, precarious detention conditions and violence and torture against migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers are utterly unacceptable.

We also cannot overlook the recurring shipwrecks in the mediterranean sea and fatal incidents involving migrants around the world, which have led to the loss of thousands of lives in recent years. These tragedies are yet another distressing reminder that states must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law and prioritize the protection of human rights and dignity of all individuals, irrespective of their migratory status.

As the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants pointed out, States must ensure that border governance measures respect, inter alia, the prohibition of collective expulsions, the principle of equality and non-discrimination, the principle of non-refoulement, the right to seek asylum, the right to life, the prohibition of torture, the promotion of gender equality, and the rights and best interests of the children. They must also abide by their search and rescue obligations under international maritime law.

Without sustaining peace and economic development, irregular migration and forced displacement will continue to increase. This is why Brazil believes in the importance of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the first intergovernmental agreement to cover all dimensions of international migration in a holistic manner, and also the importance of the Global Compact for refugees.

It is also crucial not to forget how migrants can benefit our societies. Their willingness to work hard, the diversity with which they enrich our cultures, the knowledge and expertise they lend to our economies have brought dynamism to our nations, including our own.

Migration has been a defining feature of humankind since times immemorial. We must not fear it, but, aware of its benefits, manage it in a responsible manner, in full compliance with international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law.

I thank you.