UN Experts Warn Racism Follows African Migrants Through Dangerous Global Journeys

The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent says migration policies that fail to put human rights and dignity at their centre leave people disproportionately exposed to racial profiling, unsafe conditions and abuse.

Africans and people of African descent face racism across their migration journeys, with discrimination shaping the dangers they encounter and the protection they receive, UN experts have warned. The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent says migration policies that fail to put human rights and dignity at their centre leave people disproportionately exposed to racial profiling, unsafe conditions and abuse. Their warning draws attention to the human consequences of unequal treatment: a person's racial background can influence how they are received, how authorities treat them and whether they can access protection when they need it.

The Unequal Welcome Behind Migration

"Human mobility is not experienced equally," the experts said, describing a divide rooted in historical racial hierarchies that continue to shape freedom of movement. Some people moving abroad are welcomed as "expatriates"; Africans and people of African descent can encounter suspicion and discriminatory treatment driven by racialised perceptions. The distinction carries consequences beyond the words used to describe someone, reflecting unequal recognition of people whose entitlement to human rights and dignity is the same. In their report to the Human Rights Council, "Crossings and journeys: People of African descent in global migration and the enduring architecture of racialization," the Working Group examines how historical and present-day forms of racial discrimination influence migration experiences and outcomes.

Discrimination Makes Dangerous Journeys Harder

The experts found that people of African descent face disproportionate exposure to racial profiling, discriminatory treatment and barriers to protection, with racism deepening their vulnerability to trafficking, deportation, exploitation and abuse. Sexual and gender-based violence forms part of this picture, prompting a specific call for stronger protection for women and girls of African descent on the move. These concerns reach into migration control, detention and deportation practices, where decisions about a person's movement can carry serious consequences for their safety and dignity. The report identifies media portrayals as another area of concern, placing the way migrants are represented alongside the policies and practices that shape their treatment.

Digital Borders Need Scrutiny and Accountability

The growing use of artificial intelligence, biometric systems and digital surveillance in migration management raises concerns about discrimination becoming embedded in the technologies authorities use. "Without adequate safeguards, these technologies may exacerbate racial discrimination," the experts said, calling for effective oversight of their use in migration control. Their warning places responsibility on governments to examine how these systems affect people and ensure that technological changes do not deepen existing inequalities. Protecting migrants requires scrutiny of both the decisions made by officials and the digital systems involved in managing their journeys.

Governments should ground migration and border policies in human rights, dignity and racial justice, the Working Group said, setting out practical changes that include stronger safeguards against racial profiling and expanded safe and regular migration pathways. Its recommendations call for enhanced protection for women and girls, together with independent monitoring and accountability mechanisms to address violations in migration governance. For people facing discrimination on the move, these measures concern basic needs: access to protection, freedom from exploitation and abuse, and fair treatment by the institutions making decisions about their lives.