Transcript Meeting of the Liaison Officer Network to Combat Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking Regional Consultation Group on Migration (RCGM) Managua, Nicaragua June 2014 REGIONAL NETWORK FOR.

Meeting of the Liaison Officer Network to Combat
Migrant Smuggling and Trafficking
Regional Consultation Group on Migration (RCGM)
Managua, Nicaragua
June 2014
REGIONAL NETWORK FOR CIVIL ORGANIZATIONS ON MIGRATION
– RNCOM
 This is a highly important time for the region, in view of the humanitarian
emergency situations along the migration route and in reception centres, as
well as the administrative detention and deportation of boys, girls and
adolescents in the United States, Mexico and Central America. This forces us
to identify this time as a moment of crisis in the protection of the human
rights of unaccompanied and separated migrant boys, girls and
adolescents. This situation had been hidden for a long time. Today, the
obsoleteness and inadequacy of legal frameworks and systems to provide
assistance and protection to boys, girls and adolescents has become
apparent in countries of origin, transit and destination.
 We are concerned about the significant number of boys, girls and
adolescents that are being kept in administrative detention centres in
precarious conditions, victims of abuse and fundamental human rights
violations and at high risk of falling into the hands of migrant smuggling and
trafficking networks and transnational organized crime.
 RNCOM calls on the States to establish appropriate
shelters for victims of trafficking, considering the
specific needs of women, men and boys, girls and
adolescents victims. In many cases, victims of
trafficking are sent to detention centres where they
do not feel confident enough to report that they
have been victims and are at risk of being revictimized.
 We recognize the efforts by the Regional Coalition Against Trafficking In
Persons and Migrant Smuggling and the invitation for RNCOM to be an
observing member.
 Therefore, we request that this participation be proactive and that
recommendations of RNCOM be taken into account in processes of
assistance, prevention, protection, awareness-raising, development of
legislation and policymaking for the protection of victims of trafficking in
Member States of RCM.
 We urge States to continue to strengthen national coalitions against
trafficking in persons through representative participation of civil society
organizations in each national coalition and its intersectoral subcommittees.
• We are concerned about the massive deportation of
migrants, particularly boys, girls and adolescents
without appropriate documents or that have entered
the country of transit and destination as smuggled
migrants.
• We suggest that States review the highly discretional
nature of administrative mechanisms for migration
management and of the roles of relevant officers
that exists in some countries, since this places the
integrity of victims at risk, who are immediately
identified as persons to be deported.
 It is necessary to continue implementing training and awareness-raising
for administrative and judicial officers on detection of victims of migrant
smuggling and trafficking.
 RNCOM recommends that Member States of RCM approve and implement
specific legislation against the crimes of migrant smuggling and trafficking.
We recognize the advances made in some countries; however, others
continue to typify the crimes in their penal code, and this can lead to
mistakes and revictimization.
 We request that, upon identifying victims of the crime of trafficking, a
special visa is granted to them, and that mechanisms are facilitated for
obtaining this visa when appropriate.
 RNCOM insists on the need to increase inspections by Ministries of Labour
with the aim of preventing trafficking for the purpose of labour
exploitation of migrant men, women, senior citizens as well as boys, girls
and adolescents.
 It is essential to strengthen existing mechanisms and develop efficient
inter-institutional coordination mechanisms to monitor cases and
implement training actions, with the aim of enabling the identification of
victims of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation and
commercial sexual exploitation.
 We invite governments to establish – together with civil society – dialogue
with employers, contractors and unions in order to prevent the crime of
trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation.
 Strengthening processes to ensure access to justice and combat impunity
is essential.
 We urge governments to ratify the United Nations International
Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and
Members of Their Families (1990) and ILO Convention No. 189 on Decent
Work for Domestic Workers. In addition, we invite States to harmonize
national legislation with international mechanisms that have already been
ratified, in order to comply with the obligation that has been taken on
upon ratifying an international human rights instrument.
 We invite governments to take up again joint actions implemented within
the framework of the Ad Hoc Group in regard to the crime of trafficking in
persons, with a special focus on populations in vulnerable situations, and
especially unaccompanied and separated migrant boys, girls and
adolescents.
Determining and assessing the best interests of the child
and family reunification should prevail.
The deportation and deprivation of the liberty of migrant
boys, girls and adolescents is not the solution to the
problem of violence and inequality experienced by
boys, girls and adolescents today.
RNCOM is willing to join the campaigns to support the
protection of boys, girls and adolescents in vulnerable
situations.