Human Rights Day: Protecting Rights Of Migrants on Spotlight

“We are commemorating the 70th anniversary of International Day of Human Rights in Cameroon at the time where there is a special concern for the future and rights of migrants. We are talking about migrants of all categories being they economic, political, asylum seekers or even the internally displaced persons. It is worrying situation at the global stage.” This was the declaration of the Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms, Dr Chemuta Divine Banda at the Yaounde National Advance School of Administration and Magistracy on December 10, 2018 where the 70th edition of the International Day on Human Rights was commemorated.

Dr Banda explaining why the special attention of this commemoration is on the rights of migrants and the various phenomena affecting the lives of migrants said, “Many people displaced from their places of origin by war and unemployment are treated in the host communities in a way that is not dignifying, brutalised, tortured and killed.” Stating that the right to life and dignity deserves more attention, he cited the cases of innocent children deprived of the right to education, kidnapped or forcibly recruited by armed groups. He also cited the case of elderly persons, persons living with disabilities and ethnic minorities who are rejected, women suffering violence and abuse of all kinds, migrants, real “stowaway” victims, or accomplices of human trafficking in Libya, Kuwait and other parts of the world. As a solution, Dr Chemuta Divine Banda said, “We must therefore work to promote the legal, political, economic and security conditions for a resumption to social life, where every citizen, regardless of his socio...