Why International Migrants Day 2024 Matters: Insights on Its History and Impact

International Migrants Day is marked on December 18 of every year to create an awareness of their challenges around the world. This day becomes a great opportunity to draw people’s attention to the contribution immigrants make in the shaping of global communities and to take one step forward in the fight for human rights. As the day also celebrates the social, cultural and economic changes created by the migrants, immigration has played a significant role in human history.

According to the World Health Organization, the topic for this year’s International Migrants Day is “Honoring the Contributions of Migrants and Respecting Their Rights.”

The subject is a good reminder of the many benefits migrants bring to the countries and communities where they live, challenges they face in realizing their full potential and the urgency of cooperation to ensure safe migration.

History and Impact:

In response to the rising number of migrants around the world, the United Nations General Assembly established International Migrants Day in 2000. It also marked the 1990 United Nations adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families which came into force in 2003. It aimed to strengthen the protection of migratory workers and their families by ensuring that their rights are respected regardless of their place or status through this convention.

This is what International Migration Day is trying to promote, a more just and caring society where the difficulties of immigrants are resolved and the contributions of immigrants are valued.

The deaths of migrants are increasing yearly as per the World Health Organization despite government promises and media attention. It was the worst annual death toll over 8,500 deaths in 2023 just itself.

It is hard to prevent or stop because migration is a natural phenomenon that is constantly developing in the world because of more and more people shifting their place in search of better opportunities.