Practices by Stakeholder 6

Migrant empowerment programs

Civil society, especially those operating locally, can be in a privileged position to understand and articulate the particular barriers that migrants face in a given community, including those that will prevent migrants from helping themselves, their families, or others during a crisis. Civil society can:

• Inform migrants of their human and labor rights;
• Provide training on a variety of subjects including language skills and financial literacy;
• Provide legal assistance and feedback and complaint mechanisms;
• Promote formal and informal network building, where networks can connect migrants to resources, services, and other relevant stakeholders;
• Help States, employers, or international organizations to identify challenges that migrants face within local communities and propose measures to address barriers that affect their resilience to crises.

Monitor places of detention

Independent monitoring bodies and other civil society can be given regular access to monitor places of detention, to provide services to detainees, and to understand the vulnerability and needs of detainees, including migrants. Ensuring civil society access to detention centers during crises can support efforts to better protect detained populations.