{"id":3185,"date":"2025-10-21T16:30:03","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T21:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unmissionny.orderofmalta.int\/?post_type=news&p=3185"},"modified":"2025-10-23T14:43:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T19:43:35","slug":"counsellor-dr-michael-espiritu-addresses-the-third-committee-on-the-human-rights-of-migrants","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/unmissionny.orderofmalta.int\/en\/news\/counsellor-dr-michael-espiritu-addresses-the-third-committee-on-the-human-rights-of-migrants\/","title":{"rendered":"Counsellor Dr. Michael Espiritu addresses the Third Committee on the Human Rights of Migrants, led by Mr. Gehad Madi"},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-3185","news","type-news","status-publish","hentry","news_categories-delegation-and-staff","news_categories-news","news_categories-statements"],"acf":{"hidden_news":"no","evidence":"yes","focus_on":"no","breaking":"yes","news_cover":{"id":3186,"url":"https:\/\/unmissionny.orderofmalta.int\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23\/2025\/10\/Screenshot-2025-10-22-160028.png"},"cover_image_copyrighted":true,"news_content":"

On October 21st<\/sup>, Counsellor Dr. Michael Espiritu delivered a statement at the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee on the topic of \u201cHuman Rights of Migrants.\u201d<\/p>\n

The session featured Mr. Gehad Madi, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, who presented his annual report on the externalization of migration governance and its human rights implications.<\/p>\n

Mr. Madi warned that transferring migration control responsibilities to third countries has become a defining feature of modern migration and border policies, often resulting in grave human rights risks. He outlined three main forms of externalization\u2014prevention of arrival, outsourcing of asylum processing, and returns or transfers to third states\u2014and stressed that such arrangements frequently lead to violations of fundamental rights, including the prohibition of arbitrary detention, collective expulsion, and enforced disappearance. He urged States to ensure transparency and accountability through human rights impact assessments and monitoring mechanisms, and reminded them that delegating border control to third states does not absolve their international obligations.<\/p>\n

Dr. Michael Espiritu, in his intervention, reaffirmed the Order\u2019s commitment to protecting the dignity and rights of migrants, noting that over 304 million migrants are currently recorded worldwide\u2014nearly double the number in 1990. He drew attention to the humanitarian toll of displacement, citing 12 million people displaced in Sudan, over 7 million in Venezuela, and hundreds of thousands in South Sudan uprooted by floods. Recalling Pope Francis\u2019s words that \u201cMigrants are not a danger; they are in danger<\/em>,\u201d he emphasized that hostility and xenophobia erode our shared humanity.<\/p>\n

Since 2008, the Order had been present at Lampedusa\u2014one of the Mediterranean\u2019s main landing points for migrants\u2014offering emergency medical care, psychological support, and humanitarian assistance. This commitment continues across Italy and Europe, where volunteers and medical teams accompany migrants and asylum seekers with compassion and respect for their dignity.<\/p>\n

He concluded that migration must be addressed through solidarity rather than fear, reaffirming that \u201cmigration is not a crisis to be managed, but a shared human reality that calls for cooperation among all nations.\u201d The discussion underscored the shared responsibility of States and humanitarian actors to ensure that migration policies remain grounded in human rights, dignity, and compassion\u2014principles that guide the Order of Malta\u2019s work around the world.<\/p>\n","news_gallery":"no","news_video":"