A/HRC/14/30/Add.3 I. Introduction 1. The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants visited the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 22 to 26 June 2009, at the invitation of the Government. Given the short length of his visit, the Special Rapporteur only visited England, one of the four nations comprising the United Kingdom. While a comprehensive approach is privileged in the report, a number of examples are drawn from the observations and information gathered in situ. This report presents information on the protection afforded to migrants by the Government in light of international human rights standards. The report also presents major trends and key challenges, highlights good practices and makes recommendations. 2. During his visit, the Special Rapporteur consulted with government officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Home Office, the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. He met with the Children’s Commissioner for England, observed immigration operations at Heathrow Airport and visited immigration removal centres in the districts of Dover and Gosport. 3. At Heathrow airport, he observed operations in terminals 1 and 2 including shortterm holding facilities and the Flight Connections Centre. He was briefed on the irisrecognition immigration system1 and asylum-seeking processes. In Dover and Gosport, he visited immigration removal centres, where he observed routine operations, including the initial age assessment interview in a disputed age case. He also interviewed detainees charged with immigration-related offences. 4. The Special Rapporteur also held consultations with the Director of the United Kingdom Office of the European Parliament, a number of academic institutions and a variety of stakeholders, including representatives of non-governmental organizations2 and the International Organization for Migration. He also gathered information directly from migrants and held consultations with representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 5. The Special Rapporteur expresses his appreciation to the Government, to UNHCR and UNICEF for the support provided in the organization and facilitation of the visit as well as to all stakeholders for their time and cooperation. II. General background A. Migration data 6. The United Kingdom is now a major country of destination of immigration flows. International migration has contributed nearly three quarters of the total population growth in recent years3 and the number of international migrants has doubled over a 25-year 1 2 3 GE.10-12095 This is a means of border control that uses digital technology to recognize a person from the pattern of the person’s iris (the coloured part of the eye), which is unique in every individual. It allows registered passengers to enter the United Kingdom quickly through automated barriers at certain airports. List available from the Secretariat. Office for National Statistics, National Statistics Quality Review of Immigration Statistics in the UK, March 2005. 3