Today is December 18, UN International Migrants Day, a cause for celebration and reflection on the struggles of migrants in our communities and world wide. There is a host of activities happening around the U.S. and the rest of the world .
Down below is the NNIRR press release for International Migrants Day, announcing the national statement in support of International Migrants Day .
The Coalition of Women from Asia and the Middle East was one of the sponsors of these activities and have supported the following statement. There was a huge demonstration by Iranian residing in LA in front of Federal Building as a number of Iranian have been detained.
Elahe Amani, Chair
Coalition of Women from Asia and the Middle East
cwame@cwame.org
NATIONAL STATEMENT FOR DECEMBER 18, INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY
Today, on December 18, 2002, in observance of the third United Nations International Migrants Day, we stand together to call upon the U.S. government to uphold the human rights of all immigrants and refugees. December 18 is a day to recognize the huge contribution that migrants make to all countries of our world. Migration is a growing, global phenomenon, and there are over 175 million migrants living, working, and building communities in places outside their country of origin. Migration policies and practices, however, often fail to protect the human rights of migrants, and in many cases, abuse migrants’ human rights.
We call for an immigration policy built on the principles of dignity, justice, and equality that uphold the civil and human rights of all people, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, immigration or citizenship status. We call on the global community, including the United States, to ratify the UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, which establishes a comprehensive framework to uphold the rights of migrants.
One year and three months after the devastating events of September 11, we continue to witness the devastating effects of fear, racism, and xenophobia on our immigrant and refugee communities. Immigrants and refugees continue to be the specific targets of intensified law enforcement and public scapegoating in the name of national security. Law enforcement continues to use immigration procedures in the name of anti-terrorism, denying the most basic of civil and human rights protections to non-citizens. Immigration has become further criminalized as the U.S. government has entrusted immigration enforcement to the Department of Homeland Security, an agency that leaves little chance for equal protection or due process of immigrants.
We believe that the U.S. must fulfill its commitment to uphold the human rights of all members of our country and globe. As part of the international human rights community, we decry the death, displacement and the creation of new migrant and refugee populations as a result of U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan, and object to further military operations in Iraq that would result in human rights violations. Security for all means a commitment to the protection of all communities to live free of fear, racism, and xenophobia, and the support for human rights of all communities.
