AMERICAS: INHUMANE MIGRATION POLICIES FURTHER ENDANGER PEOPLE WHO NEED PROTECTION

In response to the news that at least 50 people have been found dead in a trailer in San Antonio, Texas, and a dozen others who were onboard have been hospitalized, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, said:

“The tragedy in San Antonio is a devastating example of the failure of states across the Americas to protect migrants and asylum seekers. It is heartbreaking to reflect that this has happened before and it will continue to happen until there are profound changes in the migration policies of the United States and neighboring countries.”

“Cruel and inhumane migration policies endanger lives, forcing people into taking ever-more risky routes when all they want is to find a safe place where they can rebuild their lives. Instead of pushing migrants and asylum seekers into desperate situations where they risk suffocation, drowning or dying of thirst, states must put human rights at the center of their policies and uphold their international obligations to protect them.”