"Migrants Are Integral Members of Society" said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in his message for International Migrants Day, which is observed annually on 18 December.
"They are integral members of society, contributing to mutual understanding and sustainable development in communities of both origin and destination," he explained.
He added: "Safe, orderly and regular migration is in the interest of all. And national priorities on migration are best achieved through international cooperation."
"All migrants are entitled to equal protection of all their human rights," he stated.
Guterres went on saying: "These principles are enshrined in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration."
He continued: "Yet, we often hear narratives around migrant people that are harmful and false. And we often witness migrants facing unspeakable hardship as a result of policies shaped more by fear than by fact."
He concluded: "On this International Day, I urge leaders and people everywhere to bring the Global Compact to life, so that migration works for all. "
"Host communities across the globe have a long tradition of welcoming migrants," said the head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“The communities that thrive are those that embrace change and adjust to it. Migrants are an integral and welcome element of that change”, IOM Executive Director António Vitorino wrote in an op-ed for the day.
He added that migrants can also become “champions of resilience”, for example, during times of disaster, environmental change, unemployment, and political turmoil.
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