Two UN expert committees on human rights on Wednesday endorsed [press release] a joint statement [text, PDF] urging states to protect the rights of Venezuelan migrants amid recent mass migration from the South American country.

The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, along with the Committee on the Rights of the Child [official websites], expressed human rights concerns following the flight of Venezuelans fleeing their country due to the political, economic and social crisis.

The joint statement, which was signed by numerous human rights organizations, is in response to allegations of violence, discrimination and xenophobia and encourages the development of a “coordinated response based on human rights and on the principle of shared responsibility to respond before, during and after the massive displacement of Venezuelan migrants and refugees.”

The UN reported that by June it was estimated that 2.3 million Venezuelans fled their country, primarily towards Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Chile. Similarly, the UN Human Rights Council [official website] “registered 299,016 asylum seekers and 585,996 Venezuelans that opted for other regularization alternatives as of August 1st, 2018.”

The two committees stressed that states must respect human rights obligations at all border crossings, including the right to due process for all migrants regardless of status. Additionally, the committees urged states to ensure that internal border management centers and processes are safe, culturally appropriate and age-and-gender responsive.

Aside from safe migration practices the organizations are encouraging neighboring states to promote Venezuela to “guarantee access, provision and free path of humanitarian assistance for the Venezuelan population.”