International Migrants Day

International Migrants Day

By DrArvind Kumar

18 December is observed as the UN International Migrants Day every year to acknowledge the efforts, contributions and rights of migrants worldwide. It was on 4 December 2000 that the UN General Assembly, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, proclaimed December 18 as International Migrants. On that day, a decade earlier, the assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

International Migrants Day recognizes the efforts, contributions and rights of migrants worldwide. ©iStockphoto.com/Dave Logan

Each year the UN invites governments, organizations, and individuals to observe International Migrants Day by distributing information on the human rights and migrants’ fundamental freedoms. People are also invited to share their experiences and contribute to designing action plans to ensure their protection. Organizations actively involved in promoting the day inter alia include: “December 18”, a non-governmental organization, Radio 1812, an initiative that brings together radio stations to celebrate the day, Amnesty International, the International Organization for Migration, the National Network for Immigrants and Refugee Rights etc. Many organizations and communities celebrate the day through various activities to alert the general public on facts about migrants, problems with human trafficking, the lives of migrant workers’ children, the plight of refugees and ways in combating racism.

According to a Global Commission on International Migration report in 2005, the number of international migrants increased from 75 million to about 200 million in the past 30 years and migrants could be found in every part of the world. The migration is driven by powerful economic, social and political forces that governments need to acknowledge as a reality.