UN rights chief distressed over plight of migrants

‘Police must exercise restraint’

We understand the strains on police services at this time, but officers must show restraint and abide by international standards on the use of force

Michelle Bachelet, UN human rights chief

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 3

The plight of migrants after the nationwide lockdown has caught the attention of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, who expressed “distress” but welcomed the subsequent measures to address their situation.

“The lockdown in India represents a massive logistical and implementation challenge, given the population size and its density. It is nonetheless important to ensure that measures in response to Covid are neither applied in a discriminatory manner nor exacerbate existing inequalities and vulnerabilities,” she said.

Following the lockdown, many impoverished migrants were left without work and unable to pay for their rent and food. Without the ability to sustain themselves in urban centres and in light of the shutdown of public transportation, hundreds of thousands of migrant men, women and children were forced to walk hundreds of kilometres trying to reach their home states. Some died making the journey.

On March 29, the Union Home Ministry asked states to intercept migrants on their way home and quarantine them for two weeks. The Supreme Court on March 31 asked governments to ensure that migrants are treated in a humane manner.

Noting these developments, Bachelet said the Supreme Court’s order and its implementation will go a long way to ensuring the safety and rights of the vulnerable migrants.

The government has taken a number of other measures to address the situation such as ensuring the distribution of food services on a massive scale, pressing employers to pay wages and landlords to waive rents.

“In spite of all these significant efforts, more needs to be done as the human tragedy continues to unfold before our eyes. Special measures should also take into account the particular situation of migrant women, who are among those most economically vulnerable,” she suggested.

She expressed regret at measures that have the effect of stigmatising sections of society, such as stamping the hands of those quarantined and sticking notices outside the homes of people quarantined.