International Migrants Day

Every year International Migrants Day is observed on December 18. This day focuses on highlighting the contributions made by migrants across the world.

The lure of a well-paid job in a wealthy country is a powerful driver of international migration.

The attraction has intensified as the difference in incomes among countries continues to grow.

International Migrants Day is seen as an opportunity to recognize the contributions made by millions of migrants to the economies of their host and home countries and promote respect for their basic human rights.

Often histories of migration reveal records of integration, a two-way exchange between newcomers and the dominant society.

These are the frequently unexamined stories behind our customs, foods, and language. The history of migration, in fact, is the history of how we became to be who we are today.

We protect our migrant workers and contribute to the economic and human development of the countries in which they work and where they fill gaps in the labour market and provide essential skills.

History says, on December 4, 2000, the General Assembly, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, proclaimed 18 December International Migrants Day (A/RES/55/93).

On that day, in 1990, the Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (A/RES/45/158).

The 132 Member States that participated in the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, conducted by the General Assembly on 14 and 15 September 2006, reaffirmed a number of key messages.

Later on, in December 2018, the Intergovernmental Conference in Marrakech adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.  

Grounded in values of state sovereignty, responsibility-sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights, it recognizes that a cooperative approach is needed to optimize the overall benefits of migration while addressing its risks and challenges for individuals and communities in countries of origin, transit and destination.

This year, Pope Francis has chosen the title of his annual message “Building the Future with Migrants and Refugees” to highlight the shared commitment needed to build a future that embraces God's plan to leave no one behind.

Of the 280.6 million international migrants in 2020, 35.5 million were children under the age of 18, according to the mid-2020 UN estimates. This is the highest level ever recorded, according to the International Data Alliance for Children on the Move.

World Migration Report 2022 says, the current United Nations global estimate is that there were around 281 million international migrants in the world in 2020, which equates to 3.6 per cent of the global population.

Let us honour and celebrate the migrants who have become a part of every nation and have always contributed towards the nation.