The International Organization of Migration (IOM) joined the Forced Migration Working Group and the rest of South Africa to celebrate Human Rights day on Friday 21 March in Johannesburg.

21 March is observed nationwide as a Human Rights Day every year in South Africa. Human rights are indisputable fundamental rights every person is inherently entitled to because they are a human being.

Migrants are often vulnerable to human rights violations because they are not citizens of receiving countries and often live in vulnerable situations. This leads to their rights are all too often being overlooked, ignored and even trampled on.

In South Africa, migrants are often the first victims of violence in situations of unrest, anti-migrant sentiments that results in exclusion, discrimination and xenophobia, violations of their labour rights (minimum wages, labour safety regulations), limitations on their right to access health and education systems, as well as justice and remedial measures.

“On this Human Rights Day, it is crucial that countries promote a rights-based approach to migration that ensures migrants access their rights, taking into account differentiated vulnerabilities based on gender, age, health, legal status, etc. Having a rights based approach does not only benefit the individuals concerned, but promotes respect for the rule of law and thus benefits both states and individuals,” says Dr. Erick Ventura, IOM South Africa Chief of Mission.

IOM will participate in a panel discussion under the theme ‘Migrants Rights are Human Rights’ organized by the Forced Migration Working Group, a coalition of civil society organizations working with refugees and migrants in Gauteng. The group deals with issues of migration and defends the rights of refugees and migrants to ensure their social integration in the South African society.

The event will take place at the Christ the King Cathedral, 186 Nugget Street, crn Saratoga Avenue (Berea), from 8:00am on 21 March 2014. The media is invited.