A/59/377 3. Cases of violations of human rights of migrants 14. During the period under review, the Special Rapporteur continued to receive complaints of alleged violations of the human rights of migrants. Addendum 1 to the report submitted to the Commission (E/CN.4/2004/76/Add.1) includes the texts of complaints sent to governments between January and December 2003, as well as replies received from governments. The communications sent and received since then will be summarized in the report to be submitted by the Special Rapporteur at the next session of the Commission. 15. Pursuant to the working methods adopted, the complaints received were transmitted to the governments concerned, in accordance with the urgent appeals and letters of allegation procedures. The situations in which violations of the human rights of this group are alleged to have occurred during the period under review, giving rise to the intervention of the Special Rapporteur, include cases of: (a) arbitrary detention; (b) harsh detention conditions; (c) torture and abuse during detention, including cases involving unaccompanied minors; (d) denial of the right to consular protection for detained immigrants, even in the case of immigrants sentenced to death; (e) deaths of immigrants in police custody; (f) deaths as a result of the excessive use of force by members of the police and security forces; (g) failure to provide minimum guarantees of a fair trial; (h) refoulement at the border as a result of arbitrary decisions; (j) summary expulsions; (k) massive deportations and violations of the human rights of deported persons; (l) impunity for crimes committed against immigrants; and (m) gender violence. 16. In her communications to governments, the Special Rapporteur has also expressed her concern at a number of situations involving violations of the human rights of migrant workers, including: (a) abusive working conditions imposed by employers, sometimes under conditions similar to slavery or forced labour; (b) withholding of passports; (c) non-payment of wages; (d) restrictions on freedom of movement, verbal and physical abuse and precarious conditions in housing that employers may be required to provide; (e) denial of the right of association and assembly; and (f) abuses by migrant worker recruitment agencies resulting from inadequate regulation of the sector. 17. As she has done in the past, the Special Rapporteur has transmitted to governments her concerns regarding alleged acts of intimidation against members of immigrant associations, labour unions and non-governmental unions specializing in human rights and migration. 18. Through the letters of allegation procedure, the Special Rapporteur has requested certain governments to supply information on the application of current immigration laws and bilateral agreements for hiring migrant workers directly from their country of origin. The purpose of these communications is to verify respect for minimum standards of protection of the human rights of this vulnerable group. The Special Rapporteur also often sends communications requesting information on measures taken by specific States to deal with illicit trafficking of immigrants and trade in human beings, and protect the victims of these types of offences. 19. During the period under review, communications were sent jointly by the Special Rapporteur and by the following special public mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights: Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the 8