UN rapporteur believes US violates migrants' rights
US authorities violate international standards on migrants' rights, believes the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Migrants, Mexican Jorge Bustamante. After concluding an official visit to the US, Bustamante called on the US to bring national legislation in line with international obligations and to accede to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
"He said that his visit had shed light on a number of problems related to the violation of migrants' rights in the US, for example, their illegal detention, inadequate conditions for illegal migrants in detention centers, their discrimination on ethnic and racial grounds, violation of the rights of migrant children and women," a UN News Centre statement said.
There is no single centralized system in the US that would contain all information about persons detained by the immigration service or held in detention centers. It is not uncommon for families of detained migrants to know nothing about the fate of their loved ones.
According to the UN, there are more than 190 million migrants in the world. The largest number are in the US - about 38.4 million people. Earlier, Washington announced its decision to deploy 6,000 National Guard troops on the border with Mexico to combat illegal migration, as well as to build a 600-kilometer protective wall. The Mexican leadership expressed concern over the expected tightening of border security.
Australia introduces new tests for citizenship
In order to obtain an Australian passport, it will be necessary to demonstrate knowledge of the English language, and also to answer questions on Australian geography and politics. The new test questions will also cover the culture of local aborigines and various sports popular in the country.
In order to pass the exam, it will be necessary to answer approximately 60% of the questions correctly. According to Australian Prime Minister John Howard, the tests, which are planned to be introduced by the end of the year, will promote "social harmony and the fastest integration" of migrants.
However, opponents of the innovations note that in this case discrimination against migrants who speak little or no English is possible.