A dialogue between Carmen Vásquez and Dorys Ardila on migration, exile and human rights

On 6 November at 11:00, we held the conference “Migration, Exile and Human Rights: An Approach Based On Practical Experiences” at the Faculty of Economics and Business (Sarriko). This event featured the participation of Carmen Vásquez, a worker at the Pro-Human Rights Association of Andalusia (APDHA) and Dorys Ardila, a member of the Committee for the Follow-up and Monitoring of the Recommendations of the Truth Commission in Colombia.

Around 30 attendees, including students, teachers and political representatives in public office joined the session. The speakers highlighted the interconnections between human rights violations, structural inequality as a mechanism of exclusion and invisibility and the systemic violence affecting migrant populations.

Carmen Vásquez, on one hand, discussed the precarious conditions faced by migrant women farm workers in Huelva. On the other hand, Dorys Ardila centred her remarks on the international regulatory framework, currently under threat from emerging racist and xenophobic discourses infiltrating the public and political spheres.

This approach to exile and migration within the political landscape highlighted the need to reinforce the defence of human rights in a context marked by the regression of rights and safeguards, as anti-migration policies continue to spread across Europe.

The conference left us with significant reflections and tasks to be addressed by the university, aiming to prioritise human rights, social justice and the value of human life within the academic realm.