Committee on the Protection of the Rights of
All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
Concluding observations on the initial report of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela *
1.The Committee considered the initial report of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela at its 496th and 497th meetings, held on 20 and 21 September 2022, and adopted the present concluding observations at its 512th meeting, held on 30 September 2022.
A.Introduction
2.The Committee welcomes the submission of the initial report of the State party, due in 2018, which was prepared in response to the list of issues prior to reporting. The Committee also welcomes the additional information provided during the dialogue by the delegation, which was headed by the Minister of People’s Power for the Social Process of Labour. The delegation also included representatives of the Ministry of People’s Power for Internal Relations, Justice and Peace; the Ministry of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of People’s Power for Planning; the National Assembly; the Supreme Court of Justice; the National Council for Human Rights; the Ministry of People’s Power for Prison Administration; the Ministry of People’s Power for the Social Process of Labour; the Ministry of People’s Power for Defence; the Ministry of People’s Power for Women and Gender Equality; the Autonomous Institute and National Council for Children’s and Adolescents’ Rights; the National Electoral Council; the Public Prosecution Service; the Office of the Sectoral Vice-President for Social and Territorial Socialism; and the Permanent Mission of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.
3.The Committee appreciates the open and constructive dialogue held with the high-level delegation, the extensive information provided by the State party’s representatives and the constructive approach to the meetings, which allowed for joint analysis and reflection. The Committee is also grateful that replies and additional information were submitted within 24 hours of the dialogue.
4.The Committee recognizes that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as a country of origin of migrant workers, has taken steps to protect the rights of its nationals abroad despite the complicated situation in which the State party finds itself as a consequence of the exponential increase in migration to other countries observed since 2015. The Committee notes with concern that, as a country of origin, transit and destination, the State party continues to face a number of challenges relating to the protection of the rights of migrant workers and members of their families.
5.The Committee has reflected on these challenges and observes that measures imposed by certain States, as well as the humanitarian emergency affecting the country, have had an impact on the capacities of the State party. The Committee also recognizes the additional challenges that these measures have created in terms of migration and for the State party’s efforts to promote and protect the rights of migrant workers and members of their families.
B.Positive aspects
6.The Committee welcomes the efforts that the State party has made and the steps taken to promote and protect the rights of migrant workers and members of their families. The Committee takes note of:
(a)The adoption of the National Plan to Combat Trafficking in Persons 2021–2025 and the creation of the National Council on Trafficking in Persons to follow up, evaluate, implement and monitor the Plan, through Presidential Decree No. 4.540 of 21 July 2021;
(b)The creation of the Office of the Special Ombudsman for the Protection of Migrants, Refugees and Victims of Trafficking in Persons, established in November 2020;
(c)The formulation of guidelines entitled “PROTECT: the right to grow up in a family” in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in May 2020;
(d)The implementation of the Return to the Homeland (Vuelta a la Patria) Plan in August 2018 and the Homeland Remittance (Patria Remesa) service in 2019.
7.The Committee welcomes the State party’s vote in favour of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 73/195, and recommends that the State party continue its efforts to implement the Compact within the framework of its international obligations under the Convention, given that the aim of both international instruments is to protect the rights of migrant workers and members of their families.
8.The Committee wishes to highlight the establishment of, and the activities carried out by, a number of collegiate bodies, such as councils, working groups and committees, that have worked in a coordinated manner on programmes and projects devoted to migrants, and acknowledges the State party’s efforts to coordinate the activities of all its institutions with a view to complying with its obligations under the Convention. It also acknowledges the State party’s engagement in regional dialogue processes to address the migratory flows of people in South America.
C.Principal subjects of concern and recommendations
1.General measures of implementation (arts. 73 and 84)
Legislation and application
9.The Committee takes note of the State party’s intention to amend the Foreign Nationals and Migration Act of 2004 with the aim of establishing a migration regime consistent with international human rights instruments. However, the Committee is concerned that this amendment is still on the legislative agenda and there is no clarity regarding the time frame for its adoption. The Committee is also concerned that the State party’s regulatory framework is piecemeal and does not address migration comprehensively. It highlights the State party’s obligation to bring this framework into line with the Convention and other applicable international instruments.
10. The Committee urges the State party to adopt and promulgate the amended Foreign Nationals and Migration Act and ensure that its content complies with the provisions of the Convention. The Committee offers its support with respect to the standards for the protection of the rights of migrant workers and members of their families established therein, in the context of respectful cooperation with the competent authorities.
11. The Committee recommends that the State party take clear and effective measures, which include deadlines, indicators and monitoring and evaluation benchmarks, to implement its migration policy, provide sufficient human, technical and financial resources for its implementation, and include information, supported by statistics, in its next periodic report on the results achieved and difficulties encountered.
Articles 76–77
12.The Committee notes that the State party has still not made the declarations provided for in articles 76 and 77 of the Convention, recognizing the competence of the Committee to receive communications from States parties and individuals, and takes note of the evaluation that is currently under way in this respect.
13. The Committee urges the State party to make the declarations provided for in articles 76 and 77 of the Convention and recognize the competence of the Committee to receive communications from States parties and individuals as soon as possible.
Ratification of relevant instruments
14.The Committee notes that the State party has ratified the major human rights treaties, as well as a number of International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. However, it observes that the State party has not yet ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the ILO Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), ILO Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) and ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190); and the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
15. The Committee recommends that the State party urgently ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the ILO Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), ILO Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) and ILO Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190); and the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Policy and strategy
16.The Committee notes with concern that there is no clear strategy directly linked to the implementation of the Convention, although it recognizes the efforts made through the training institutions of public entities and bodies, and the fact that the Convention was applied before the courts in one case. The existence and implementation of a comprehensive strategy would help to ensure that migrants are able to enjoy their rights.
17. The Committee recommends that the State party establish a strategy directly linked to the implementation of the Convention and the corresponding follow-up and that it makes information available in a systematic, focused and clear manner, while also ensuring the human, technical and financial resources needed for the effective fulfilment of the obligations assumed with regard to the rights of migrant workers and members of their families, in line with the obligations arising from the Convention and in consultation with civil society organizations.
Coordination
18.The Committee notes that the National Migration Commission was established by article 28 of the Foreign Nationals and Migration Act with the objective of advising the executive branch on compliance with the duties established in the Act. Nevertheless, the Committee is concerned about the lack of information on this Commission’s activities and composition, mandate, powers and authority to coordinate, at all levels of government, the implementation of the rights protected by the Convention.
19. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen its institutional framework for the management of migration-related issues by creating mechanisms and building capacities within the different entities that coordinate work in this area. The Committee also recommends that the State party mobilize and strengthen the National Migration Commission, clarify its mandate and grant it sufficient authority to coordinate all policies relating to the rights of migrant workers and members of their families, as well as activities relating to the implementation of the Convention.
Data collection
20.The Committee regrets the lack of information and reliable, detailed statistics that would allow for a comparative, historical analysis of the implementation of the Convention rights in the State party and notes with concern the considerable discrepancies in the statistical data on migrants and refugees published by the Regional Inter-agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants of Venezuela, jointly led by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Organization for Migration and State agencies.
21.The Committee also takes note of the lack of information on certain migration-related issues, such as the situation of Venezuelans abroad, given the unavailability of information on their employment status and employment conditions, and updated and disaggregated information on the situation of migrants who have returned to the country, either under the Return to the Homeland Plan or by their own means, including, to the extent possible, those who enter by irregular border crossings, as well as disaggregated information on the support and follow-up services provided to returnees after their arrival.
22. The Committee recommends that, in line with target 17.18 of the Sustainable Development Goals, and following an approach based on human rights, gender equality and non-discrimination, the State party:
(a) Establish a national system that systematically, reliably and efficiently collects data on the situation of migrant workers in the State party, providing disaggregated statistics on documented and undocumented migrants and their families, migrant workers in transit, nationals working abroad and returning nationals, as well as children migrating abroad, including unaccompanied children, and spouses and children of migrant workers who remain in the State party;
(b) Ensure that the personal information of migrant workers and their families is protected, and thus that personal data are not used for migration control and do not serve as a basis for discrimination in public or private services;
(c) Take the necessary steps to ensure that the next national population census contains relevant questions on aspects of migration and nationality.
Independent monitoring
23.The Committee is concerned that the Ombudsman’s Office has lost its category A status with respect to accreditation by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and notes the efforts being made to regain this status.
24. The Committee recommends that the independence and operation of the Ombudsman ’ s Office be strengthened in line with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles) and that it continues to take steps to give effect to the recommendations of the Subcommittee on Accreditation of GANHRI, achieve reaccreditation with its previous status and ensure that it is in a better position to monitor the effective protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families under the Convention.
Training on and dissemination of information about the Convention
25.The Committee takes note of the courses, workshops and training activities carried out to build capacities among public servants in the area of human rights, and of the fact that the Convention was applied before the courts in one case. However, the Committee is concerned that there is insufficient training, communication and awareness-raising about the Convention within the executive and judicial branches, and among departmental and local authorities, border force authorities, police officers and social welfare services personnel. The Committee is also concerned about the absences of efforts to raise awareness of the Convention among migrant workers working in the State party and abroad.
26. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Strengthen and expand education and training programmes on the Convention rights for officials from institutions that address migration issues, including law enforcement officers, border authorities, judges, prosecutors and departmental and local authorities;
(b) Use effective mechanisms to evaluate the impact of training and ensure that more defence lawyers and judges invoke the Convention and the Committee ’ s general comments when appealing cases, in the case of defence lawyers, or rendering judgments, in the case of judges;
(c) Ensure that migrant workers, in the State party and abroad, have access to information on their rights under the Convention;
(d) Work with universities, civil society organizations and the media to disseminate information about the Convention and promote its implementation, especially in border areas.
Participation of civil society
27.The Committee notes the low level of participation of civil society in the implementation of the Convention, including in preparing the State party’s national reports, as well as the limited dialogue and coordination on decisions and laws that affect migrant workers and their families.
28. The Committee recommends that the State party engage in a closer dialogue with civil society organizations when preparing its periodic reports and that the dialogue should be inclusive and ongoing. The Committee further recommends that the State party put specific measures into effect to enable civil society to participate, on an ongoing basis, in activities carried out by the State party in the implementation of the Convention and migration law. It urges the State party to use standing mechanisms, with respect to the participation of civil society, to prepare its reports and to follow up on the Committee ’ s recommendations.
2.General principles (arts. 7 and 83)
Non-discrimination
29.The Committee notes that the State party’s constitutional and legislative framework contains provisions aimed at combating discrimination and xenophobia and recognizes the equal rights and dignity of all persons in the territory of the State party, be they nationals or non-nationals. However, the Committee is concerned about the persistence of xenophobic rhetoric targeting Venezuelan migrants in foreign countries and the lack of information on measures taken to ensure gender equality in migration policies, as well as the use of discriminatory language in relation to foreign nationals in the State party.
30. The Committee recommends that the diplomatic and consular missions of the State party carry out awareness-raising campaigns and programmes to prevent Venezuelans in other countries from being subjected to discrimination and xenophobia and that the State party ensure gender equality in migration policies, in particular by adopting measures to eliminate discrimination affecting migrant women, such as any form of gender-based violence against women and any discrimination in the enjoyment of their rights to health, employment and education. It also recommends that the State party conduct awareness-raising campaigns, including among civil servants, on the rights and presence of migrants in its territory in order to prevent any manifestation or use of discriminatory rhetoric against them.
Right to an effective remedy and access to justice
31.The Committee notes that, under the Constitution and laws of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, all persons, whether they are Venezuelans or foreign nationals, may approach the courts for reparation if they suffer harm as the result of a violation of their rights. The Committee notes the lack of information available to migrant workers, particularly Venezuelan migrants in foreign countries, on justice and reparation for victims of abuses and violations of rights established by the Convention. The Committee notes with great concern the crimes committed against Venezuelan migrants abroad, including deprivation of life, and takes note of the creation and ongoing work of the Special Commission for the Investigation of Crimes against Venezuelan Migrants Living Abroad, as well as the efforts made by the Government to assist victims and facilitate the identification and repatriation of mortal remains.
32. On the basis of the standards established by this Committee, it is recommended that the State party expand measures, including through websites and media accessible to migrants living abroad, to inform migrant workers and members of their families of the remedies available to them in the event that their rights are violated. Similarly, it is recommended that the State party create support mechanisms enabling family members to file complaints in the State party regarding crimes committed against migrant workers in other countries, with the support of the consular network and in cooperation with the countries where the crimes were committed, in order to facilitate access to criminal investigation institutions and to keep family members informed of the progress of investigations and make it possible for them to participate in the process.
3.Human rights of all migrant workers and members of their families (arts. 8–35)
Border management
33.The Committee takes note of the State party’s investment in and efforts and commitment to managing migration at its borders. However, it notes with concern the information attesting to disappearances of migrants at land borders with neighbouring countries, the documented cases of disappearance at sea and the lack of information on investigations carried out in these cases.
34. In line with the Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights at International Borders of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and with the terms of the Convention and established standards, the Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Intensify efforts, together with neighbouring countries, to conduct diligent and serious inquiries into disappearances and deaths at land and sea borders and ensure access to justice for the families of victims in order to uphold the right to the truth about the fate of missing and deceased migrant workers as well as the right to reparation, where applicable;
(b) Strengthen the human rights focus of the border monitoring system, in compliance with the Convention;
(c) Ensure that border management involves the development and oversight, in coordination with neighbouring countries and supported by international cooperation, of plans to facilitate channels for safe, orderly and regular migration.
Detention
35.The Committee takes note of the information provided by the State party according to which irregular migration status is not classified as an offence and detention measures are not imposed for migration-related reasons. The Committee is concerned about the placement of individuals under “humanitarian guard” (resguardo humanitario) or “preventive administrative guard” (detención administrativa preventiva) and the conditions and duration of such procedures.
36. In the light of its general comment No. 5 (2021) on migrants ’ rights to liberty and freedom from arbitrary detention and their connection with other human rights, the Committee urges the State party to:
(a) Adopt alternatives to administrative detention for migrant workers and members of their families during proceedings relating to their entry into, or deportation or expulsion from, the national territory;
(b) Ensure that the detention of migrants is an exceptional measure of last resort, that the grounds are specified in each case, with specific reasons given as to why alternative measures cannot be taken, and that the measure is reviewed within 24 hours by an independent and impartial judicial authority;
(c) Ensure adequate and decent conditions in places in which liberty is restricted and, where applicable, the effective separation of migrants in administrative detention from persons under criminal investigation;
(d) Collect and provide up-to-date data, disaggregated by age, sex, nationality, place of detention and reason for detention, on migrants and members of their families in detention.
Consular assistance
37.The Committee notes with concern the deterioration in consular services for Venezuelan migrants due to the closure of several consulates in foreign countries, which has substantially limited the enjoyment of their rights under the Convention. It notes in particular the difficulties migrants have experienced in acquiring and renewing their passports – a basic requirement for access to the regularization procedure and to health, employment, education and financial services in destination and host countries – and observes that, in some cases, Venezuelans abroad have been unable to register their children as Venezuelans owing to the lack of access to civil registration services through consulates. The Committee notes with concern that this situation also makes it difficult for migrants of legal age with the capacity to vote to be placed on the electoral register when required.
38.The Committee takes note of the progress made by the State party towards re-establishing diplomatic relations with Colombia and the steps taken to reopen the 10 consulates that had been closed in Colombia, as well as in other neighbouring countries in which Venezuelan nationals are living, as a result of which it is hoped that consular services will once again become available for Venezuelan migrant workers and members of their families in Colombia and these other neighbouring countries.
39. The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Redouble efforts to re-establish consular services in foreign countries, prioritizing countries with the highest concentration of Venezuelan migrants, in order to assure migrant workers and their families of the right to identity and nationality and ensure their access to the services provided by these countries;
(b) Ensure access to identity documentation for Venezuelan migrant children at consulates, and facilitate and encourage the consular registration of children of Venezuelan migrants born in other countries, in order to ensure that nationality can be obtained without hindrance in both cases;
(c) Promote exemption from the payment of consulate fees for persons in vulnerable situations, where justified;
(d) Enable Venezuelans abroad to register and vote at any mission.
Transfer of earnings and savings by migrants at the end of their stay
40.The Committee takes note of the implementation of the Homeland Remittance service via the Homeland Platform and the possibility of sending remittances to the country in the form of cryptocurrency. However, it is concerned at the high cost of sending remittances through the private services available in the country.
41. The Committee recommends that the State party continue its efforts to facilitate the transfer of migrant workers ’ earnings and savings and ensure that the private services available in the country take steps to limit the maximum cost of sending remittances and make these services affordable.
4.Promotion of sound, equitable, humane and lawful conditions in connection with the international migration of workers and members of their families (arts. 64–71)
Migrant children and adolescents
42.With respect to children in situations of international migration, the Committee notes with concern the lack of information on the living conditions of Venezuelan children and adolescents in third countries who are unaccompanied or separated from their families or caregivers. It is especially concerned about finding the Venezuelan families of such children and adolescents in order to reunite them with their families.
43. The Committee recommends that the State party redouble its efforts to systematically collect relevant information on Venezuelan migrant children and adolescents, follow up on their situations and whereabouts, and search for the members of their families with a view to their family reunification on the basis of an evaluation and assessment of the child ’ s best interests, taking into account joint general comment No. 3 of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families/No. 22 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (2017) and joint general comment No. 4 of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families/No. 23 of the Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Return and reintegration
44.The Committee welcomes the 2018 Return to the Homeland Plan, which consists of facilitating the return to the country, by air, sea or land, of Venezuelan nationals abroad, and appreciates the progress made by the State party in the Plan’s implementation and in the reintegration of returnees. However, the Committee is concerned about:
(a)The lack of detailed, disaggregated, regularly updated and easily accessible public information on returns, which is key to developing social protection and reintegration policies for returnees;
(b)The fact that, according to the requirements for registration, persons who are considered to have participated in public acts of violence or acts of hatred against the Venezuelan people may not be able to participate in the Plan. Such language could arbitrarily limit access to the programme;
(c)The fact that, in order to benefit from socioeconomic reintegration and social protection measures, registration in the “Carnet de la Patria” (Card for the Nation) system appears to be a prerequisite;
(d)Harassment of people who returned outside the framework of the Return to the Homeland Plan, particularly through unauthorized crossings, and who were mainly returning from neighbouring countries during the pandemic.
45. The Committee recommends, in line with article 67 of the Convention and target 10.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals, that the State party:
(a) Establish a system for collecting detailed, disaggregated and regularly updated information on returns that is easily accessible to the public;
(b) Eliminate the conditions that may result in the arbitrary impediment of returns through the Return to the Homeland Plan;
(c) Strengthen the process of socioeconomic reintegration and social protection, regardless of any affiliations of returnees;
(d) Take the necessary steps to prevent and punish acts of discrimination against, and the criminalization of, migrants who return through unauthorized crossings.
Trafficking in persons
46.The Committee notes that there is a bill on the prevention and punishment of the crime of trafficking in persons and comprehensive assistance to victims but no time frame for its adoption. It is aware that the Organic Act on Organized Crime and the Financing of Terrorism includes provisions on the crimes of trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling. It is also aware that the National Plan against Trafficking in Persons 2021–2025 is currently in force and that there is a National Council on Trafficking in Persons. Nevertheless, the Committee is concerned about the lack of efforts to raise awareness of the mandate and powers of the Council and the activities that it has carried out, as well as of the implementation of the National Plan. The Committee takes note of the workshops held to enhance the criminal investigation of trafficking in persons and the courses organized by the Public Prosecution Service as part of the National Training Plan for the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons, as well as the 11 reported cases of victims of this crime in which their repatriation was achieved. Finally, the Committee is concerned about the reports it has received about the increasing number of victims of trafficking in persons by irregular armed groups identified abroad, many of whom have been repatriated or deported to the State party.
47. In accordance with the Convention and the OHCHR Recommended Principles and Guidelines on Human Rights and Human Trafficking, the Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Prioritize the adoption of the bill on the prevention and punishment of the crime of trafficking in persons and comprehensive assistance to victims;
(b) Clarify the mandate, powers and activities of the National Council on Trafficking in Persons and enhance the implementation of the National Plan against Trafficking in Persons 2021–2025, under the responsibility of the National Office on Organized Crime and the Financing of Terrorism;
(c) Redouble efforts to curb forced recruitment and trafficking in persons by irregular armed groups, particularly in relation to the Orinoco Mining Arc, maritime routes to Trinidad and Tobago and along the border with Brazil and Colombia;
(d) Ensure that all offences of trafficking in persons, in particular those related to sexual exploitation and those in which public officials are complicit, are promptly, effectively and impartially investigated, prosecuted and punished;
(e) Step up training for law enforcement officials, judges, prosecutors, labour inspectors, teachers, health workers and staff of the State party ’ s embassies and consulates on dealing with trafficking cases in a gender- and child-sensitive manner, and disseminate information on trafficking in persons and assistance to victims more widely;
(f) Enhance international, regional and bilateral cooperation by developing joint action plans with countries of origin, transit and destination on the prevention of trafficking in persons and the detection of organized crime networks, and cooperate with public prosecutors ’ offices to arrest, prosecute and punish criminals;
(g) Establish mechanisms for family reunification and the identification of migrants who do not have identity documents as a means of preventing trafficking in persons and the indefinite separation of migrants from their families.
Indigenous Peoples
48.The Committee notes with concern that, according to reports received, Indigenous Peoples living on the border between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Brazil and Colombia who regularly cross the border for work are in a particular situation of vulnerability and are at risk of being subjected to abuse, forced labour, trafficking in persons and debt bondage, especially workers in the mining and agriculture sector. In particular, the Committee is concerned about the situation of the Barí, Pemón, Warao, Wayúu, Yanomani and Yukpa Indigenous Peoples.
49. The Committee recommends that the State party take all the necessary measures to protect the rights of this group of migrant workers and their families, who are in a particular situation of vulnerability, through an intercultural approach and in accordance with the provisions of the Convention and the ILO Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169), fostering joint efforts with neighbouring countries to address the situation efficiently.
5.Dissemination and follow-up
50. The Committee requests the State party to ensure the timely dissemination of the present concluding observations, in the official languages of the State party, to the relevant State institutions, including to government ministries, the legislature, the judiciary and relevant local authorities, as well as to non-governmental organizations and other members of civil society.
51. In accordance with article 84 of the Convention, the Committee requests the State party to include, in its second periodic report, detailed information on the measures taken to implement the recommendations made in the present concluding observations, including their transmission to government officials, members of Congress, the judiciary, local authorities and others.
52. The Committee requests the State party to provide it, within two years, with written information on the follow-up given to the recommendations contained in paragraphs 10 (Legislation and application), 32 (Right to an effective remedy and access to justice), 39 (Consular assistance), 43 (Migrant children and adolescents) and 47 (Trafficking in persons) of the present document .
Next periodic report
53. The Committee requests the State party to submit its second periodic report by 1 October 2027. The Committee will adopt a list of issues prior to reporting, in accordance with the simplified reporting procedure, during one of its sessions in advance of that date, unless the State party explicitly opts for the traditional reporting procedure for its second periodic report. The Committee draws the State party ’ s attention to its harmonized treaty-specific guidelines.