Many go missing and die across the world during refugee and migrant journeys. The names of most dead and missing are unknown; families untraced, bodies buried in unmarked graves. With those affected we will develop protocols on best practice and procedure, based on international human rights law, for those working with dead and missing migrants to make families and their rights visible and ensure that the rights and dignity of the missing and dead are respected as well as those of the bereaved.

The Last Rights project is creating a new framework of respect for the rights of missing and dead refugees and bereaved family members. Catriona Jarvis, former UK judge and Syd Bolton, children’s human rights lawyer, of Methoria, are the Co-Conveners.

We know of no other project that will focus on these difficult issues.

Your donation can help provide support to refugees and migrants, for example to better treat both the dead and the living, to better trace and identify the missing and dead and reunite families;  where there has been a death, to allow burial in a known grave, whether abroad or back home, to allow a family to grieve and eventually to look to the future. A donation will also help host communities to be better equipped to face these particularly complex human experiences which will continue to occur despite efforts to prevent migrant journeys.

We also need to fund a consultation with migrants and other stakeholders and a conference to be held on Lesbos next Spring where the new guidance will be agreed. The conference will be a most important stage in order to achieve support not only of refugees and migrants and those working with them, but also as a vital means of persuading states and other authorities to come on board.

Every donation helps, no matter the size.

Last Rights on MyDonate