Tag Archives: alarmed

Independent experts alarmed by child rights violations in US immigration procedures

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Thousands of children remain in custody without access to legal counsel; a situation the experts warn is forcing minors to navigate complex immigration proceedings alone and undermining their fundamental rights.  

The three Special Rapporteurs, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, said they are in contact with the US Government on the issue. 

Duty to care 

They explained that under the 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), the US Office of Refugee Resettlement is responsible for the care and custody of unaccompanied children.  

The law requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to protect children from mistreatment, exploitation and trafficking in persons.  

It also guarantees that unaccompanied children in federal custody have access to legal counsel and should not be subjected to expedited removal – that is, deportation without a court hearing. 

Legal support ended 

The experts noted, however, that on 18 February 2025, the US Department of the Interior ordered nonprofit legal service providers to halt work and ended funding for attorneys representing unaccompanied children.  

Although the development has been challenged in the courts, many of the 26,000 affected children lost legal counsel and remain at risk of forced removal.  

Reports indicate that young migrants are being held in windowless cells, denied adequate medical care and separated from their parents or caregivers for long periods. 

In fact, between January and August 2025, average custody time rose from roughly one month to six, while releases to family caregivers dropped by more than half: from approximately 95 per cent to 45 per cent. 

Pressured or paid to self-deport 

“There have been consistent accounts of unlawful deportations of unaccompanied children, in breach of the obligation of non-refoulement, including child victims of trafficking, and children at risk of trafficking in persons,” the independent experts said.  

Children have been reportedly pressured to either accept a $2,500 cash payment to self-deport or face indefinite detention and transfer to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody upon turning 18. 

 The experts stressed that children should have access to administrative and judicial remedies against decisions affecting their own situation, or that of their parents or caregivers. 

Measures should be taken also to avoid undue procedural delays that could negatively affect their rights. 

 “Expedited proceedings should only be pursued when they are consistent with the child’s best interests and without restricting any due process guarantees,” they said. 

Independent voices 

The three Special Rapporteurs receive separate mandates from the UN Human Rights Council to report on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; the human rights of migrants, and the independence of judges and lawyers. 

They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work. 

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Sudan: UN ‘deeply alarmed’ by major attack on besieged El Fasher

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Monday’s attack left 40 civilians dead and 19 injured within Abu Shouk, according to humanitarian partners. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the renewed violence forced at least 500 residents of the camp to flee to other parts of North Darfur.

Acting Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Sheldon Yett, condemned “all deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians” in the strongest terms.

“All parties to the conflict have a clear obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stressed at Tuesday’s daily press briefing in New York.

“Displacement camps and other places of refuge for civilians must not be targeted. And the fact that we have to repeat this almost every day is tragic in itself.”

No exit

Amid the current escalation of violence in and around El Fasher – the last Government held bastion in Darfur – there are also reports that exit routes from the city have been blocked and civilians are trapped under siege, cut off from safety and aid.  

Mr. Yett emphasised that the immediate provision of safe and unhindered passage for those fleeing El Fasher and other areas of active hostilities is crucial.  

He also reiterated the Secretary-General’s repeated calls for a humanitarian pause in and around the city to allow for the much-needed delivery of food, water, medicine and other life-saving supplies, underscoring that those trapped are facing acute hunger and starvation.

Deepening catastrophe in Kordofan

To the east in the Kordofan region, violence and displacement are still raging.  

In South Kordofan State, IOM estimates 3,000 people fled the town of Kadugli between 6 and 10 August because of deepening insecurity.

Humanitarian access to the town is extremely limited, as the primary supply route is inaccessible due to active hostilities, making road access virtually nonexistent.  

This humanitarian crisis is worsening an already dire economic situation and causing further shortages of vital goods.  

UN humanitarians reiterate that all combatants have obligations under international humanitarian law to refrain from attacking civilians, take constant care to spare them and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access to everyone in need. 

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UN chief ‘gravely alarmed’ by US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites

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“I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today,” said the UN chief, reiterating that there is no military solution.

“This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.”

President Donald Trump delivered a televised address to the nation from the White House at 10pm local time and said that Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan had been “totally obliterated” describing the long-range bombing raid as a “spectacular military success.”

President Trump called on Iran’s leadership to now “make peace” and return to negotiations over its nuclear programme or suffer a far greater wave of attacks.

Iranian authorities have yet to confirm the extent of the damage to the three sites in central Iran. Earlier in the day, Iran’s foreign minister reportedly warned the US against any involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict which erupted on 13 June.

Deadly strikes

At least 430 Iranians are believed to have been killed during waves of strikes since then with around 3,500 injured, according to figures from the Iranian health ministry.

In Israel, 24 civilians have died in the retaliatory attacks according to local authorities with more than 400 missiles reportedly fired towards the country.

B-2 bombers were involved in the US strikes, President Trump confirmed, dropping so-called “bunker buster” bombs on the uranium enrichment site at Fordow which is buried deep inside a mountain south of the capital Tehran.

‘Avoid a spiral of chaos’

In his statement, the Secretary-General reiterated his concerns voiced in the Security Council during Friday’s emergency meeting on the crisis that the conflict “could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world.”

He called on all Member States to de-escalate the situation which threatens the stability of the Middle East and beyond, calling for everyone to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and international law.

“At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos,” he added calling for an immediate return to negotiations between the warring parties.

“There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace.”

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UN alarmed after warning shots fired at foreign diplomats in the West Bank

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Media reports said soldiers fired warning shots near the diplomats, who were on an official visit to view humanitarian conditions around the camp where a major Israeli military operation has been ongoing since January. 

The mission was hosted by the Palestinian Authority and approved by Israel, however it strayed from the approved route, media reports said, citing a statement by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). 

Diplomats from more than 20 countries were in the group, along with staff from the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA.  No injuries were reported.

Diplomats must be respected

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric was asked about the incident during his regular media briefing from New York.  

He said Secretary-General António Guterres was alarmed by reports that “the IDF fired what they called warning shots” at diplomatic and UN personnel.

“It is clear that diplomats who are doing their work should never be shot at, attacked in any way, shape or form, and their safety, their inviolability, must be respected at all times,” he said.

“Any use of force against them is unacceptable, and we urge the Israeli authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, to share those findings with us, and to take any measures that would prevent any other such incident to take place.”

‘Lax use of excessive force’

UNRWA Director of Affairs in the West Bank, Roland Friedrich, spoke out against the Israeli military’s actions.

“This incident is a stark reminder of the lax use of excessive force routinely deployed by Israeli Security Forces in the West Bank, often with lethal consequences,” he said in a tweet.

He noted that “while the West Bank is not a war zone,” 137 Palestinians have been killed there since January in occupation-related violence.

“The IDF has said they are investigating the incident. However, claims such as ‘mistakenly identifying [the delegation] as a threat’ and firing ‘warning shots’ do not fully capture the severity of today’s events,” he said.

“This raises serious concerns over the way rules of engagement are applied to unarmed civilians,” he added.

Meanwhile, several countries have voiced their condemnation. Germany’s foreign ministry issued a statement calling for Israel to investigate the matter.

“The Federal Foreign Office strongly condemns this unprovoked fire. We can count ourselves lucky that nothing more serious occurred,” it said.

Jenin camp situation

The UN continues to highlight the situation at the Jenin camp and elsewhere in the West Bank.  

Mr. Friedrich said access to the camp “has been near-impossible” since Israel launched Operation ‘Iron Wall’ on 21 January. All residents have been forcibly displaced and UNRWA services there have been fully suspended. 

He called for safe humanitarian access to the camp to be restored, while those displaced must be allowed to return immediately.  

Guterres alarmed by Israeli plans to expand Gaza ground offensive

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 “This will inevitably lead to countless more civilians killed and the further destruction of Gaza,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, responding to a journalist’s question during the regular media briefing in New York.

“What’s imperative now is an end to the violence, not more civilian deaths and destruction. Gaza is, and must remain, an integral part of a future Palestinian State.” 

The alert comes as the UN humanitarian team and other NGOs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on Sunday condemned Israeli efforts to replace the aid delivery system with one where supplies would reportedly be funnelled through military hubs in the south.

This proposal would leave “large parts of Gaza…less mobile and (the) most vulnerable” without lifesaving supplies, aid chiefs insisted.

The Secretary-General continues to call for an immediate permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of hostages in Gaza, said Mr. Haq.

Deadly attacks and looting

Meanwhile, airstrikes and other attacks continue across the Strip, where Israel has blocked the entry of aid and commercial supplies for more than two months.

Reports indicate that scores of people were killed and hundreds injured over the weekend, including children, the UN aid coordination office OCHA said on Monday.

OCHA noted that robbery and looting have become a daily reality in the Strip, especially in and around Gaza City, which is occurring in parallel with the depletion of supplies.

Businesses are being targeted, and there have also been attempts against UN warehouses.  In most cases the looters were stopped by guards, or the warehouses were already empty.

Water woes

Last week, OCHA reported that water pumping and sanitation systems in Beit Lahiya had gone down because fuel had run out. Services are still not back due to continuing shortages.

Furthermore, a major water line from Israel was damaged on Friday, cutting water supply to northern Gaza – including Gaza City – by half. Teams were only able to fix the problem on Sunday as the repair work required coordination with the Israeli authorities.

Also on Sunday, a UN team managed to retrieve some fuel from a station in Gaza City after the Israeli authorities facilitated their efforts to reach it. However, many reserves remain out of reach due to denial of access.

OCHA noted that in Rafah in southern Gaza, not a single attempt to retrieve fuel has been facilitated since 18 April.

The agency also reported that since Saturday, 19 out of 27 planned humanitarian movements within Gaza were denied outright.  Other attempts were initially given the go-ahead – but then impeded by forces on the ground. 

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