International Migrants Day Friday 18th December
Categories: Articles:Asylum & Refugees |
Published: 17/12/2015 |
Views: 1927
The United Nations' (UN) International Migrants Day a global observance is annually held on December 18 to recognize the efforts, contributions and rights of migrants worldwide. The number of international migrants has increased from 75 million to about 200 million in the past 30 years and migrants can be found in every part of the world. This year, 2015, marks the 25th anniversary of the UN's International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (commonly referred to as the Migrant Worker’s Convention or Migrant Rights Convention). It was approved by the UN General Assembly on Dec. 18, 1990.
Let's honour International Migrants Day with a call to action to lift up and respect human rights at international borders and to call for an end to the detention of migrant children and families. International Migrants Day is a day when we can express our support and solidarity with all immigrants. In a period when economic crises have stirred anxieties about immigration and when unjust policies and public discrimination against immigrants have intensified, we call for respect, tolerance, and justice for all immigrants, regardless of their status. December 18 provides an opportunity to highlight important issues affecting immigrant communities. It also serves as a reminder of the rights guaranteed to all migrants by the Migrant Workers Convention, and the need for all nations (67 countries have signed/ratified the convention the UK is not one of them) to ratify and adopt its standards.
The full text of the Convention can be found here:
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