LAUSR

The vulnerability of migrants and the threats to which they are exposed during their journey, on land, at sea, or in countries where they have settled, raise serious humanitarian concerns that cannot be ignored. In view of the transregional nature of migration, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other components of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (the Movement) draw on their presence all along migration routes to contribute to the humanitarian response and alleviate the suffering of vulnerable migrants. The Movement’s proximity to vulnerable migrants through its solid and experienced network of responders along migratory routes is one of its specific advantages. The aim of this article is to explain the ICRC’s view on and approach to migration. It underlines that the ICRC’s response is dictated by humanitarian needs, and stresses that these needs can be greatly reduced when States abide by their commitments under international law and adopt and implement policies that take into account the protection and assistance needs of migrants. It acknowledges the diverse and complex human realities behind migration and outlines the main * The author would like to thank Pilar Gimeno, Guilhem Ravier, Helen Obregón Gieseken and CatherineLune Grayson for their valuable comments on earlier drafts of this article. International Review of the Red Cross (2017), 99 (1), 99–119. Migration and displacement doi:10.1017/S1816383118000036