UN Human Rights Commissioner Says 'Distressed' About India's Migrants Facing Lockdown

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet expressed concern about the rights of migrants affected by the nationwide lockdown in India amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a press release on Thursday

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd April, 2020) UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet expressed concern about the rights of migrants affected by the nationwide lockdown in India amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a press release on Thursday.

India imposed a 21-day lockdown on March 24 to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, ordering residents not to leave their homes unless for exceptional reasons and suspending traffic between Indian states and all domestic and international flights.

"UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said today she was distressed by the plight of millions of internal migrants affected by the sudden announcement of a lockdown in India," the release said. "She welcomed subsequent measures to address their situation but noted that pervasive challenges remain."

According to the release, many migrants were left without work and means for existence following he lockdown order. In addition, hundreds of thousands of migrants had to walk hundreds of kilometers to their home states and villages and some of them have died during the journey.

Moreover, reports indicate that police officers were engaged in beating people, including migrants, for braking quarantine rules, dousing migrants with disinfectant, while local authorities were stamping hands of those quarantined and placing corresponding notices outside of their homes.

Bachelet stressed that such a "massive logistical and implementation challenge" as lockdown should be carried out in a non-discriminatory manner, without exacerbating existing challenges and stigmatizing already vulnerable due to their social status communities.

"This is a time for domestic solidarity and unity. I encourage the Government to draw on India's vibrant civil society to reach out to the most vulnerable sectors of society, to ensure no one is left behind in this time of crisis," Bachelet said.

India had confirmed more than 2,032 cases of the novel coronavirus, 58 deaths from the disease and 150 cases of recovery, according to Johns Hopkins University.