Every year on 18 December, International Migrants Day is celebrated to create awareness regarding the plight of migrants across the world.
The theme of International Migrants Day 2024 is ‘Honouring the Contributions of Migrants and Respecting Their Rights.’
It is observed to mark the anniversary of adopting the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families by the United Nations General Assembly in 1990.
UNGA had proclaimed 18 December as International Migration Day on 4 December 2000.
International Migrants Day was created to commemorate the importance of strengthening international cooperation and migration bilaterally, regionally, and globally.
Established in 1951, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is the lead United Nations agency working in the field of migration and assists millions of migrants every year.
More than 281 million people were international migrants in 2020, while more than 59 million were internally displaced by the end of 2021.
The world’s largest immigrant population lives in the United States.
According to the UN World Migration Report 2024, India tops the list with the largest number of indigenous people living abroad, which is around 18 million.
