18 Dec 2020 WACC: ‘Uphold migrants’ dignity and humanity’

On December 18, International Migrants Day, WACC calls on governments, civil society, the international community, and other interested actors around the world to work together to promote a rights-based approach to migration — one that upholds migrants’ dignity and humanity, and promotes dialogue and understanding between migrants and host communities.

This year’s theme for International Migrants Day is “Reimagining Human Mobility”. This is an occasion to celebrate the contributions that migrants around the world have made to the battle against Covid-19.  Many migrants have been at the frontline of the pandemic as health and service sector workers. It is also an opportunity to promote safe and dignified migration in a post-pandemic world. Migrants have unfortunately been disproportionately affected by the pandemic because of their often-precarious living and economic situations and are at risk of falling to back of the line in the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.

In this light, WACC will continue to work with partners and members in all continents to promote migrants’ human rights, particularly communication rights such as freedom of expression and access to information, to ensure that migrants are better position to exercise their broader human rights and to access the public services they need.

Stranded migrant workers during the Covid-19 lockdown imposed by the government in New Delhi. Photo: Sumita Roy Dutta/Wikimedia Commons