NEW YORK - The right to freedom of religion or belief should be guaranteed to asylum seekers, refugees, migrants, internally displaced persons - people on the move - on an equal basis, a UN expert said today.
"Freedom of religion or belief is often of heightened relevance and resonance for people on the move, especially those who are forced to leave as a result of religious persecution or other international crimes," said Nazila Ghanea, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, in a new Report to the General Assembly today.
"Encountering new communities, experiences and ideas often inspire people to deepen their connection with their religion, beliefs and belonging; or to explore or investigate others," Ghanea said. "Nonetheless, it is often assumed that those populations have other rights priorities. Their freedom of religion or belief is, consequently, overlooked."
The report puts forward six dimensions of the right to freedom of religion or belief of people on the move, notably including States' non-refoulement obligations.
"Effective realisation of States' non-refoulement obligations calls for a thorough and individual contextual understanding of the relationship between actual or perceived religion or belief and the risk of irreparable harm upon return," the Special Rapporteur said. "Regrettably, reports of ignorance and sectarian or discriminatory attitudes in relation to religion or belief of asylum-seekers are commonplace."
Further dimensions explored in the report include denial of citizenship on the basis of religion or belief, discriminatory forced displacement of religion and belief minorities, violations at borders and in the context of deprivation of liberty, discrimination and violence in host countries and the violations of freedom of religion or belief faced by migrant workers and their families.
The latter, the Special Rapporteur argued, was "routinely neglected" by States.
"Some legal codes do not even guarantee freedom of religion or belief for non-nationals, in a blatant departure from international obligations," said Ghanea. "Others "restrict the freedom of religion or belief of migrant workers, alleging that certain manifestations can be carried out only by those on missionary or religious-worker visas. Such measures are squarely incompatible with international legal standards," she said.
Recognising the complexity and practical challenges of adequately protecting and fulfilling the right to freedom of religion or belief to people on the move, the Special Rapporteur made a series of recommendations to States. She urged States to provide thorough training for all functionaries involved in decision-making in relation to asylum applications based on international standards, including UNHCR Guidelines No. 6 and No.10.
"I call on civil society and faith-based organisations to support the training and education of State officials, and continue their valiant efforts in support of the rights and dignity of people on the move, and to foster environments of mutual respect within and between religious or belief communities," Ghanea said.
