International Migrants Day 2023: Theme, History, Significance and Quotes

INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY 2023: The effects of climate change, natural disasters, war, and internal conflict often force people to leave their homeland for a safer place. According to the UN’s International Organization for Migration, a migrant is “any person who is moving or has moved across an international border or within a State away from his/her habitual place of residence”.

This definition is applicable regardless of a “person’s legal status, whether the movement is voluntary or involuntary, what the causes for the movement are, and what the length of their stay is.” The rise of global warming and wars across the world has led to a sharp increase in migrant numbers.

To mark the struggle of migrants and make the migration process easier, each year the UN marks December 18 as the International Migrants Day.

International Migrants Day History

More than two decades ago, on December 4, 2000, the UN General Assembly declared December 18 as International Migrants Day. The day was reportedly selected to commemorate the the adoption of International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families by the UN General Assembly in 1990.

International Migrants Day Significance

As per estimates by the UN, in 2020 more than 281 million people were international migrants and over 59 million people were internally displaced by the end of 2021.

Regardless of the cause of their migration, migrants or displaced people are considered some of the most marginalized people in the world. They are susceptible to exploitation and abuse by state agents, law enforcement, and criminals as they have limited access to basic facilities. Migrants are also vulnerable to xenophobia and stigma.

Due to their precarious condition and the misinformation surrounding migrants, having a UN-mandated day dedicated to migrants helps make people aware of the plight of the migrants and inspire policy changes.

International Migrants Day 2023 Theme

The theme for International Migrants Day 2023 is “Promoting Safe Migration”. With this theme, the UN aims to promote the commitment of different nations to give human rights to all migrants regardless of their legal status, combat and discourage xenophobia, and push for laws that criminalize the exploitation of migrant workers. The theme also sets to support countries that rescue, host, or receive migrants.

International Migrants Day 2023 Quotes

1. Migration is an expression of the human aspiration for dignity, safety, and a better future. It is part of the social fabric, part of our very make-up as a human family. – Ban Ki-moon
2. Refugees didn’t just escape a place. They had to escape a thousand memories until they’d put enough time and distance between them and their misery to wake to a better day. – Nadia Hashimi
3. Refugees are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, children, with the same hopes and ambitions as us – except that a twist of fate has bound their lives to a global refugee crisis on an unprecedented scale. – Khaled Hosseini
4. We have a legal and moral obligation to protect people fleeing bombs, bullets and tyrants, and throughout history those people have enriched our society. – Juliet Stevenson.