Int. Migrants Day marked today

International Migrants Day is marked on Friday. International Migrants Day appointed by the General Assembly of United Nations on December 4, 2000. 

It is the UN’s way of acknowledging all of the migrants around the world who have had and continue to have to the courage to leave their country and language behind, along with their friends, family members, and everything they have every truly known just to get a shot at a better life somewhere else in the world.

The idea was originally born in 1997, when Filipino and other Asian migrant associations began celebrating what was first called, ‘the International Day of Solidarity with Migrants.’

December 18 was chosen out of all the days of the year because it was on that day in 1990 that the United Nations adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. 

The day is centered on appreciating the contributions the millions of migrants worldwide have made to their host countries and efforts to help protect their rights.

This day is observed in many countries, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations through the dissemination of information on human rights and fundamental political freedoms of migrants, and through sharing of experiences and the design of actions to ensure the protection of migrants.