Migrants are entitled to the same human rights and protections as anyone else, said IOM Regional Director Argentina Szabados at the inaugural Asian Human Rights conference that ended on Friday.
Dignity, protection, and the promotion of the human rights of all migrants, at all stages of their journeys, were stressed by Ms Szabados at the forum - held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, according to an IOM press statement.
Speaking to a group of politicians, academics, civil society leaders, and diplomats, Ms Szabados reiterated International Organization for Migration or IOM’s belief of the need “to ensure respect, protection, and fulfilment of the human rights of all migrants, regardless of their migration status.”
“We must also reaffirm our commitment to eliminate all forms of discrimination, including racism, xenophobia and intolerance against migrants and their families,” she said.
The event, convened by the Government of Uzbekistan, reaffirmed the commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is 70 years old this year, and its importance in the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in modern-day Asia.
Szabados congratulated the Government of Uzbekistan for submitting a request for the country to become IOM’s 173rd Member State.
