Even though the United Nations (UN) have endeavored to protect refugees by filling the policy gaps with legal instruments, they have not yet established a common framework for the rights of migrants. For this reason, they are trying to create a new Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. However, some critical notes have arisen on the draft text. The final vote and adoption will take place on December 10-11, 2018 in Morocco.
The United Nations published a report by Agnes Callamard, the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. The report, entitled “Saving lives is not a crime”, describes that the States’ actions to fight terrorism and deter migration, and the subsequent criminalization of humanitarian services, constitute a violation of their obligations. The report urges States to cease the criminalisation of those trying to assist and/or save migrants and refugees.
In a summit in France on Tuesday the 30th of May, the rival factions of Libya, a country with an estimate of 43,113 refugees according to the UN from which 90 percent cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, agreed to hold parliamentary and presidential elections. The summit was hosted by the French president Emmanuel macron, who called the summit ‘historic’. However, others raised critical questions about the breakthrough of the conference.