Kate Morgan of No More Deaths and César Ortigoza of Armadillos Búsqueda y Rescate are traveling to Amsterdam to give the opening remarks at “Border Deaths and Migration Policies: State and Non-state Approaches.”

This international conference is being held at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and is cosponsored by the United Nations, the International Organization for Migration, and Médecins sans Frontières. The conference will convene policy makers, nongovernmental organizations, activists, and researchers from all over the world to address the topic of migration-related border deaths.

A platform to expose the border crisis

“I hope to use the opportunity to talk about the policies that create the crisis of death and disappearance happening on the US–Mexico border,” said Kate Morgan. “And I want to talk about why civilian and nongovernmental responses are required when the State is the primary actor in the creation of the crisis.”

Invitation follows report and arrest

The invitation for the two groups to speak at the conference came after the release of the abuse-documentation report detailing the destruction of humanitarian-aid supplies by Border Patrol agents. That same day Scott Warren, a volunteer with No More Deaths, was arrested while providing aid to two border crossers.

Focusing international attention

“We will be speaking to the government’s attempt to criminalize the work of No More Deaths,” said Kate, “as well as the targeting of community leaders and activists like Scott. We will have the attention of an international audience and I hope we can focus it on what is happening here on the border.”

---

For more information on Armadillos Búsqueda y Rescate, please find them on Facebook @ArmadillosBusquedaYRescate.