Tag Archives: Migration

Another Border Surge

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Border Surge: Increase of Central Americans Seeking Asylum at US Border

Another surge of migrants is occurring at the United States border. The United States witnessed a tremendous surge in the number of unaccompanied children crossing the border into the United States in the summer of 2014. The majority of these minor unaccompanied children came from Southern American countries that are beleaguered by violence, gang warfare, and lawlessness.

The article notes that the US is making extra efforts to discourage “irregular” migration. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson made a trip to Central American countries to warn people that the United States is not welcoming to it. A public relations campaign is underway in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador to discourage future asylum seekers from entering the country. That is in addition to the detention centers that the government houses migrants in, which have received attention for subpar conditions.

Asylum is a difficult proposition for the majority of recent Central American arrivals, whose claims are often based on gangs. The US stresses that its message is “Don’t come. If you do and your asylum claims are denied, we will remove you.”

International Human Rights Day

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International Human Rights Day

On December 10 of every year since 1950, the United Nations has commemorated International Human Rights Day. The theme last year was Human Rights 365 – a reminder that every day is Human Rights Day. Of course, commemorating a day once a year is a starkly different action from pursuing the goal of fewer human rights violations every day, but the day should serve as a poignant reminder that human rights violations occur every day throughout the world. This year, the theme is the 50th anniversary of the two International Covenants on Human Rights: the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 16 December 1966.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (celebrating its 67th birthday) has three articles concerning immigration and migration. Article 13 announces the right of freedom of movement and residence with an individual’s country. The second clause of Article 13 declares that, “Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.”

Many forced migrations are the result of human rights violations. Asylum as a process (in which the recipient is green card eligible after a year) in the immigration system that is designed to accommodate some individuals who have been victims of human rights violations. The United States has a ceiling of 70,000 asylum acceptances this year. Article 14 recognizes that persecution causes people to seek safety, declaring everyone has the right to seek asylum (unless they themselves are persecutors).

Article 15 asserts that everyone has the right to a nationality and that “no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.”

Thirty articles comprise the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They are not all immigration-related, but many are connected to immigration and its consequences (standard of living, education). On this day, it is important to recognize the important of human rights in our modern world and that immigration is a basic, fundamental human right worthy of protection.

In commemoration of this day, Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon says, “On Human Rights Day, let us recommit to guaranteeing the fundamental freedoms and protecting the human rights of all.”

You can follow the worldwide activities associated with this day on social media through #HumanRightsDay.