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in all circumstances, and in order to combat organized crime, refrain from claiming that
all nationals of particular countries or regions have the same patterns of behaviour.
Undocumented women and children
117. Governments are urged to promote and strengthen regional intergovernmental entities
composed of civil society and academic institutions to study, draw attention to and agree on the
topic of migration, including the human rights of migrants from the gender perspective, with
particular emphasis on the situation of migrant women and children. The action of forums and
intersectoral round tables (Governments, NGOs, churches, universities and migrant
organizations) should be stepped up in order to debate, recommend and find solutions to the
migration problem and, in particular, the full and effective protection of the human rights of
migrants.
118. States must guarantee access to health services for migrants, especially migrant children.
The Special Rapporteur encourages States which have adopted legislative measures to offer such
access to study the effectiveness of the measures adopted and find ways to make them more
effective. She commends States which are implementing the right to health for migrants who are
undocumented or in an irregular situation.
Migrants in detention
119. All Governments are urged to increase human rights training for immigration officials,
the police and bodies that prevent violations of human rights. Officials dealing with migrants
who are in detention or who have been subjected to trafficking or degrading work because they
have no documentation must receive special training relating to the situation of these persons.
Codes of conduct must be drafted so that professional attention may be given to this problem.
Return of migrants to their country of origin
120. The Special Rapporteur encourages States to promote public policies responsibly to
inform its nationals about the risk involved in undocumented immigration. She also urges
countries of origin to collaborate with host countries to provide their nationals with valid travel
documents for a dignified return.
121. The question of the return to their country of origin of migrants who do not have
documents is provided for in the Special Rapporteur’s mandate. It is very important to formulate
policies and accompaniment programmes for dignified returns within humanly acceptable time
limits because any continued detention, uncertainty or clandestinity has physical and
psychological consequences which are prejudicial to the fundamental rights of migrants.
122. The Special Rapporteur urges States to work together with organs of civil society on the
human rights situation in detention centres. Links between States and NGOs must be
strengthened with a view to assistance for migrants in detention centres. Such assistance must
apply not only to physical health, but also to the mental health of detainees and their links with
their country of origin, family and consulate.
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