Annual Report 2024
08

People on the Move

Torture and the Struggle for Migrants' Rights in the Mediterranean

Thousands of people on the move (migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers) seek to cross the Mediterranean every year in their quest for a better life in supposedly safe Europe. Torture and ill-treatment are constant companions. OMCT continues to document human rights violations and their impact on the individual and the migrant and host communities, to advocate for the absolute prohibition of torture for all and to defend the right to defend migrants’ rights, particularly in Tunisia and Libya.

The Shrinking Civic Space in Tunisia and Libya

Analysing the human rights situation of people on the move transiting through Tunisia and Libya is essential for supporting the efforts of authorities to meet their obligations under international human rights law. It also informs the design and implementation of cross-country protection strategies aimed at addressing issues with a transnational dimension and facilitates bilateral and regional political dialogue. However, those defending the rights of people on the move, including countless victims of torture, are increasingly harassed and prosecuted. The shrinking of civic space assumes a new dimension in the context of migration.

Addressing Migrant Disappearances in Africa

In this context, OMCT and members of the migration and torture working group continued to advocate for the situation of migrants in Africa. Their joint publication, "Contribution to the Call of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants on Disappearances in the Context of Migration", with experiences documented in Senegal, Niger, Libya, Ghana, and The Gambia, urges enhanced cooperation among states and humanitarian organisations to improve the search and identification of missing migrants and provide support to families grappling with the uncertainty surrounding their loved ones’ fate. Too often, people on the move go missing due to shipwrecks at sea, extreme conditions in the Sahara Desert, or detention centres in Libya.