ENAR and PICUM’s joint letter to the UN CERD and to the CMW
Across Europe, migration laws are increasingly weaponised under the guise of public security, leading to racialised harm and systemic exclusion. These are not isolated policy shifts- they are symptoms of deep-rooted structural racism.
Together with our partners at PICUM, ENAR has submitted a joint letter to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers (CMW).
Our message is clear: human rights must apply to all- regardless of migration status. The wave of EU legislation over the past year has endangered fundamental rights, legitimised racial profiling, and expanded immigration detention, including children. The proposed EU return regulation, in particular, seeks to make deportation the default and introduced dangerous derogations from core protections.
In our joint letter, we:
🔹 Highlight how migration governance is increasingly driven by xenophobia and securitisation.
🔹 Call for the finalisation of a strong Joint General Recommendation/Comment on xenophobia and migration.
🔹 Demand accountability from states and protections that reflect international human rights standards.
This is a racial justice issue. A human rights issue. And we will continue standing with racialised and undocumented communities across Europe in the fight for justice, dignity, and equality.
