Every year on December 18, the globe observes International Migrants Day, a day set aside to celebrate migrants’ significant contributions while emphasising the hardships they encounter.
The United Nations tweeted “One out of every thirty persons in the world is a migrant. Sunday’s #MigrantsDay commemorates the millions of migrants who are vital members of the cultures in which they reside, as well as their contributions to both their home and host nations.”
Violence, instability, and the consequences of climate change, war, and conflict have all contributed significantly to forced migration, whether inside nations or beyond borders, in recent years. Over 281 million people were foreign migrants in 2020, with over 59 million domestically displaced by the end of 2021.
According to the UN, migrants and displaced persons are among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in society, and are frequently subjected to abuse and exploitation, have restricted access to critical services such as healthcare, and suffer xenophobic assaults and stigma fueled by disinformation.
Many migrant workers, on the other hand, are typically in temporary, informal, or unprotected occupations, exposing them to a higher risk of insecurity, layoffs, and bad working conditions.
Millions of people continue to attempt risky travels each year due to a continuing shortage of secure and regular migration routes. More than 50,000 migrants have died on migration routes throughout the world since 2014. Regardless, migrants have shown to be a source of prosperity, creativity, and long-term growth in their nations of origin, transit, and destination.
