Statement on the use of private actors in migration enforcement and the effects of this on vulnerable migrants

Your Excellencies the co-chairs and your Excellencies and Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen participating in this Interactive Round Table. Thank you for your presentations, and for allowing my Institute to make this intervention. The UNU Institute on Globalization, Culture and Mobility, a UN research institute operating out of Barcelona’s current research into policy relating to statelessness indicates gravely adverse implications of an increasing use of private actors in the enforcement of migration control functions for vulnerable migrants and for states’ existing international obligations. This is something that has also been mentioned by the Special Rapporteur. The role the private sector may have in supporting states to protect vulnerable migrants during the migration process needs, therefore to be examined, in contrast to measures focused on security enforcement. And ensuring these sovereignty-related functions remain directly under state supervision.