• Australia: End Offshore Transfer of Migrant Children
    Nov 24, 2012
    Press release
    The Australian government should immediately stop transfers of migrant children - including unaccompanied migrant children and child asylum seekers - to offshore processing sites in Manus Island of Papua New Guinea, and Nauru.
  • UAE: Make Good on Human Rights Commitments
    Nov 16, 2012
    Press release
    The United Arab Emirates should swiftly end the arbitrary detention and harassment of its critics in line with its obligations as a recently elected member of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
  • Greece: Strengthen Proposal for Hate Crime Units
    Nov 13, 2012
    Press release
    New police units to address racist violence need a strong mandate, proper staff, and clear guidelines, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the Greek minister for public order and citizen protection, Nikos Dendias.
  • Lebanon: Investigate and Punish Army Attacks on Migrants
    Oct 10, 2012
    Press release
    Lebanon’s judiciary should investigate and prosecute any army and intelligence officials responsible for the beating and serious abuse of at least 72 male migrant workers on the evening of October 7 in the Beirut neighborhood of Geitawi, Human Rights Watch said today. According to victims and other witnesses, those beaten include at least 45 Syrian, 20 Egyptians, and 7 Sudanese migrant workers.
  • Bahrain: Abuse of Migrant Workers Despite Reforms
    Sep 30, 2012
    Press release
    Hundreds of thousands of mostly South Asian migrant workers in Bahrain face exploitation and abuse despite government reforms intended to protect them, Human Rights Watch said in a report issued today.
  • UAE: Report Highlights Need for Worker Protections
    Sep 27, 2012
    Press release
    A report by an independent monitor underscores the need for companies involved in the United Arab Emirates’ Saadiyat Island project to ensure that their projects comply with international labor standards for migrant workers.
  • Bangladesh: Discriminatory Family Laws Fuel Female Poverty
    Sep 16, 2012
    Press release
    Bangladesh’s discriminatory personal laws on marriage, separation, and divorce trap many women and girls in abusive marriages or drive them into poverty when marriages fall apart. In many cases these laws contribute to homelessness, hunger, and ill-health for divorced or separated women and their children. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have recorded significantly higher levels of food insecurity and poverty among female-headed Bangladeshi households. 
  • Thailand: Refugee Policies Ad Hoc and Inadequate
    Sep 13, 2012
    Press release
    Thailand’s policies governing refugees on its soil are making them vulnerable to arbitrary and abusive treatment despite the country’s decades of experience as host for millions of refugees.
  • EU: Step Up Sea Rescues to Save Lives
    Sep 7, 2012
    Press release
    The deaths of scores of migrants and asylum seekers in the Mediterranean over the past 48 hours should prompt concerted European Union action to limit further deaths in the Mediterranean.
  • Somaliland: Stop Deporting Ethiopian Refugees
    Sep 4, 2012
    Press release
    The Somaliland authorities should immediately stop deporting Ethiopian refugees and asylum seekers to Ethiopia. On August 31, 2012, dozens of Ethiopians, mostly women and children, were forcibly returned to Ethiopia in violation of international legal prohibitions against sending people to places where they might face persecution or threats to their lives.