18 December- International Migrants Day

Why the Migrant Workers Convention Matters Amnesty International considers that all migrants, regardless of their status or any other distinction, have human rights. An important step to develop a coherent, comprehensive and global response to international migration is for states to ratify and implement the Migrant Workers Convention. (June 2006) South Korea exploits Migrant Workers Tens of thousands of Migrant Workers in South Korea face discrimination, expolitation and appaling working conditions. Read our feature in the Wire magazine Read the full report: South Korea: "Migrant Workers are also Human Beings" International Migrants Day - 18 December: Protecting the rights of Migrant Workers An estimated 200 million migrants live and work outside their country of origin. Many face exploitation and abuse.This year Amnesty International marks International Migrants Day by urging States to ratify the Migrant Workers Convention (December 2005) Migrant rights denied in Spain and Morocco At least 12 peope have been killed and dozens injured in recent months while trying to enter Spain from Morocco. Hundreds of migrants are being detained and deported with no legal opportunity to challenge decisions (December 2005) Migrant Workers enhance development Amnesty International reminds the international community that migrant workers play an important role in the development process. All too often human rights abuses by governments and employers are overlooked, or even accepted. The organization urges all governments to ratify and implement the Migrant Workers Convention (31/10/2005)

18 December is International Migrants Day. The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, (the Migrant Workers Convention) came into on force on 1 July 2003. It is the seventh international human rights treaty. The current number of states that have ratified the Convention stands at 34.

The every-day reality for many migrants around the globe remains a bleak one. Vilified by politicians and the popular media, often subject to discrimination and human rights violations, many migrants continue to live their lives at the margins of societies unwilling or unable to accept or integrate them fully. In this context, Amnesty International reiterates its call to all states to ratify the Migrant Workers Convention.

Amnesty International recognizes that migration has always been integral to the human condition; individuals and societies have moved in search of social, economic or cultural opportunity, or to escape the ravages of conflict and persecution. In the 21st century, this movement of people across and within state borders continues. There is no doubt that the need exists to bring an analytical spotlight to bear on the phenomenon of migration; one which, in Amnesty International’s perspective, should illuminate especially the human rights of the migrant at every stage of her journey.

For more information on migration issues please click on the following links:

Committee on the Rights of Migrant Workers

Global Commission on International Migration

Steering Committee of the Global Campaign for the Ratification of the Convention on Rights of Migrants


















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