United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres, in a Twitter message regarding the date, called for greater international support for investments in countries of origin to ensure people’s departure is an option, not a necessity.
“There is no migration crisis; there is a crisis of solidarity,” the headline wrote.
This week, a new United Nations report drew attention to how often foreign workers are being dehumanized and called for action to ensure their rights and dignity.
Titled We Wanted Workers, But Humans Came, the report finds how millions of people leave their countries each year on temporary work programs that promise economic benefits but are forced to live in overcrowded and unsanitary housing because they cannot are able to pay for necessary or sufficient food and medical care. .
Regardless of the reasons that force people to leave their countries, they are among the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in society and are often subject to abuse and exploitation, the United Nations noted.
They also have limited access to essential services and face xenophobic attacks and stigmatization through the spread of disinformation.
Despite this, these groups have proven to be sources of prosperity, innovation and sustainable development for countries of origin, transit and destination, while their contributions through remittances provide a lifeline for families, the source added.
It is estimated that millions of people continue to make dangerous journeys every year due to the ongoing lack of safe and regular movement routes, and since 2014 more than 50,000 migrants have lost their lives on routes around the world.
A report by the International Organization for Migration warned that “these deaths represent only part of the true total, as no state is currently publishing figures on them”.
It also stresses that despite the mounting impact of the scourge, little has been done by governments in countries of origin, transit and destination.
In 2000, in view of the increase in migration flows, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the International Day, a date on which information about the human rights and fundamental freedoms of these people is disseminated.
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