A/HRC/17/33 reasonable pay, were often relegated to a lower socio-economic status and subjected to differential treatment by housing providers. Migrants were subject to indirect discrimination in that certain criteria for accessing rental housing had a disproportionate impact on them. Given their limited access to housing through the private market, it is of concern that migrants often do not enjoy the safety net provided by social housing in many countries, especially where there was a shortage of social housing in general. 43. Challenges in accessing adequate housing were even greater for irregular migrants; it was extremely difficult for them to rent private property of good quality. The difficulties were amplified in countries where the irregular presence of migrants is a criminal offence, and there are obligations to “denounce” irregular migrants. In some countries, it was in fact a criminal offence to let accommodation to irregular migrants. The precarious housing situations were further exacerbated by the fact that irregular migrants were usually excluded by law from most public services, including social housing. Particular concern was expressed with respect to asylum-seekers who became irregular migrants and lost all social support and housing entitlements once their claims for asylum were rejected. 44. The Special Rapporteur noted with regret the widespread practices of forced evictions of migrants around the world. There were many instances where migrants, most often vulnerable groups such as irregular migrants, asylum-seekers and unaccompanied children, were forcibly evicted from their homes without adequate notice, prior consultation or alternative accommodation. These practices of forced evictions clearly undermined not only migrants’ right to adequate housing, but also other related rights such as the rights to health, food, water and education. 45. Women faced significant barriers in accessing adequate housing due to discrimination and migrant women were subject to multiple forms of discrimination, given their marginalized status in societies. Migrant children were also more likely than other children to live in overcrowded housing, which had a negative impact on their development. The concern was heightened with respect to irregular migrant children, whose right to adequate housing was dictated by the conditions of social exclusion that their families to which were subjected. The lack of access to adequate housing for irregular migrant parents meant that their children were deprived of housing as well. 46. The realization of the rights to health and adequate housing played a crucial role in the integration of migrants in host societies. Obstructing and limiting access to services, institutions and goods that gave effect to such fundamental rights represented not only violations of migrants’ human rights, but also obstacles to migrants’ inclusion and their active participation in the host States. In the view of the Special Rapporteur, such denial of human rights carried significant costs not only to migrants and their home countries, but also to host countries, including social disintegration and public health dangers. III. Possible themes for further study A. Migration in the context of climate change 47. Over the last few years, there has been an upsurge of interest in the likely impact of climate change on population movements. Estimates have suggested that between 25 million and one billion people could be displaced by climate change over the next 40 years.5 These figures represent the number of people exposed to the risk of climate change 5 10 Migration, Environment and Climate Change: Assessing the evidence, Frank Laczko and Christine Aghazarm, IOM, 2009, p. 9.