U.N. human rights experts have raised concern about the unknown fates of North Koreans forcibly repatriated from China, urging Beijing to halt deportations and Pyongyang to disclose information about those returned.

In a press release issued Wednesday, the 18 experts expressed continued serious concerns about “the fate, whereabouts and treatment of those repatriated.” 

The experts included U.N. special rapporteur for North Korean human rights Elizabeth Salmón, members of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD).

There are no adequate safeguards to protect those forcibly repatriated to the DPRK from