THE SECRETARY-GENERAL -- MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY 2025

Migration is a powerful driver of progress — lifting economies, connecting cultures, and benefiting countries of origin and destination alike.

Yet when migration is poorly governed or misrepresented, it can fuel hate and division, endangering the lives of people seeking safety and opportunity.

Since 2014, nearly 70,000 migrants have died or gone missing along land and sea routes, with the true number likely far higher. Borders are tightening, smugglers and traffickers are thriving, and women and children are among the most at risk.

Seven years ago, the international community adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration — an effort to maximize migration’s benefits while managing its challenges.

We can and must harness the power of migration to advance sustainable development and build more resilient societies. This starts with challenging the narratives that dehumanize migrants, and replacing them with stories of solidarity.

On this International Migrants Day, let us stand together for the rights of every migrant, and make migration dignified and safe for all.