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issued jointly with other special procedures mandate holders. Specifically, joint
letters of allegation (66) were most frequently sent together with the Special
Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; the Special
Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences; and the
Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
With respect to urgent appeals (46), joint communications were more frequently
issued with the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and the
Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.
11. In the reporting period, the Special Rapporteur sent a total of
22 communications alleging violations of the rights of migrants. To these,
15 responses from the Governments concerned were received. The addendum to his
last report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/17/33/Add.1) includes a summary
of communications sent to Governments from 1 April 2010 to 15 March 2011, as
well as replies received from 11 May 2010 to 10 May 2011. The communications
sent and received since then will be presented to the Human Rights Council at future
sessions.
12. In his communications to Governments sent from April 2010 to May 2011, the
Special Rapporteur expressed concern at a number of situations of alleged violations
of the human rights of migrant workers, including (a) arbitrary arrest, sexual
violence, torture and other forms of cruel, degrading and inhuman treatment or
punishment; excessive use of force; and forced labour; (b) mass expulsions and
forcible return; (c) inadequate standard of living, including lack of access to
adequate food and housing; (d) sale of children, including for purposes of economic
exploitation; (e) killings by border authorities; (f) trafficking for sexual and
economic exploitation; (g) verbal and physical abuse by immigration authorities;
(h) abuse and exploitation of domestic migrant workers, including denial of basic
labour rights, such as non-payment of wages; (i) restrictions on freedom of
movement of nationals; and (j) racist and xenophobic propaganda against migrants.
D.
Other activities
13. During his mandate, the Special Rapporteur participated in a number of
activities and events relating to the protection and promotion of the rights of
migrants. These included consultation with and participation in the activities of the
Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of
Their Families, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights and its Task Force on Migration, the International Organization for Migration
and the World Health Organization.
14. The Special Rapporteur contributed to and presented reports on issues relating
to the mandate in the context of major conferences, including the annual meetings of
the Global Forum on Migration and Development, the World Social Forum on
Migration, a regional conference as part of preparations for the Durban Review
Conference and the fifth International Congress on Migration and Development.
Further, the Special Rapporteur engaged in dialogue with regional organizations and
forums and participated in training and other activities organized by academic
institutions and civil society organizations.
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