A glance through numerous migration reports, policy and research publications on international migration have shown that contributions of migrants to societies, polities and the economies worldwide have not only been largely overlooked, downplayed and taken for granted, but also hindered, through proliferation of disruption and disinformation against migrants.¹

Migration has emerged as a prominent priority and policy issue across the globe. Today there are over 281 million migrants across the world living outside of their countries of origin (3.6 per cent in line with the world’s population growth).² It has become the centre of many public discourses and political agendas, which have sometimes reinforced harmful negative narratives and counterproductive symbolic crackdowns. The rise of political panic and media coverage about migration has often given a false impression about migration which overlooks migrants’ contributions and exaggerates the potential threat to security and welfare of States. Hence, combatting deep-seated attitudes of prejudice, discrimination, racism and xenophobia is key to ensuring a future for migrants with their human rights fully respected, protected and fulfilled.³ In the Progress Declaration of the Global Compact’s first International Migration Review Forum adopted in May 2022, Member States pledged to take action against harmful stereotyping, hate speech and hate crime, as well as misleading narratives that generate negative perceptions of migrants.

Greater emphasis on a human-rights based and migrant-centric approach is needed when examining the contribution of migrants. In this context, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Mr Gehad Madi, wishes to dedicate his first thematic report to the Human Rights Council to providing a human-rights based analysis on migrants’ contributions to societies and relevant facilitating and hindering factors.

The report will highlight the many important ways in which migrants themselves, their families and communities have substantially contributed both historically and contemporarily in a variety of settings. This includes remittances, trade, investment, networks, innovations, food diversity, music creation, sport achievements, knowledge sharing and much more. Thus, it is equally important to note that this report aims not to focus on migration from a costs and benefits angle, as the extent to which migrants contribute to their communities goes beyond economic activities such as socio-cultural and civic-political factors. Migrants often bring skills, dynamism, and resources that strengthen origin, transit and destination societies, polities, cultures and economies as workers, students, entrepreneurs, innovators, athletes, artists, family members and more.⁴

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) expressly included migration in three of its targets⁵ and recognized “the positive contribution of migrants for inclusive growth and sustainable development; […] that international migration is a multidimensional reality of major relevance for the development of countries of origin, transit and destination, which requires coherent and comprehensive responses” (A/RES/70/1). Thus, efforts should be made to improve the ability, opportunity and dignity of migrants to fully contribute and integrate into societies.

Therefore, States and Stakeholder should foster the benefits of international migration and work to eliminate hindering factors that may violate the human rights of migrants and their families. As emphasised by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in its report on Migration and Human Rights: Improving Human Rights-Based Governance of International Migration, migrants’ contributions “can be further enhanced by lowering the costs of migration, ensuring their rights and equal treatment with nationals concerning their working conditions, wages, safety and health protection, portability of pensions and other social security benefits, and through promoting mutual recognition of diplomas and qualifications.”

In preparation for the United Nations Summit of the Future taking place in September 2024, the Special Rapporteur hopes that his first thematic report will help contribute to the ongoing discussions. He reiterates his call to Member States to explicitly guarantee that the human rights of migrants are included when negotiating the action-oriented Pact for the Summit and way forward for the future.⁶

Initiatives and frameworks must be people-centred, human rights-based, gender-responsive, disability-inclusive, child- and age-sensitive to ensure social inclusion of all groups. Decision-making processes must include the active involvement and consultation of migrants at all stages. The Special Rapporteur stands ready to provide technical support to Member States.

Objectives

Throughout the report, the Special Rapporteur particularly wishes to:

1. Highlight the role of migrants and their families in positive interaction, particularly socio-cultural, civic–political and economic contributions made to origin, transit and receiving societies in order to counter the increased public narratives and myths as well as discrimination against migrants;
2. Examine and analyse facilitating factors that help migrants to provide greater contributions to the societies (of origin, transit and destination) from socio-cultural, civic-political and economic perspectives;
3. Examine and analyse hindering factors and obstacles of migrants’ contributions; advance the understanding of the human rights challenges faced by migrants and their families by providing analysis on how these factors increase their vulnerability to human rights violations in countries of origin, transit and destination;
4. Examine existing national, regional and international frameworks and measures which impede migrants’ contributions communities of origin, transit and destination, with a particular focus on those disproportionally impacted migrants, including migrant women and girls, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, Indigenous persons and those who are undocumented or in an irregular situation;
5. Identify promising practices and concrete examples at the local, national, regional and international levels, that address hindering factors as well as facilitate, maximise and optimise migrants’ contributions into societies, economies, polities and cultures;
6. Recommend actions and measures applicable at the national, regional and international levels to eliminate violations of the human rights of migrants as well as recognise and facilitate migrants’ positive contributions.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

The Special Rapporteur invites all interested parties including States, civil society organizations, international and regional organizations, national human rights institutions, civil society organisations, academics, UN agencies, lawyers, policy experts, business representatives, migrants and other relevant stakeholders to share information, documents, statements, analysis and input for this thematic report.

Early submissions are strongly encouraged. Additional supporting materials, such as reports, academic studies, and other background materials may be annexed to the submission.

While all submissions are welcome, and the below is by no means exhaustive, the Special Rapporteur would be grateful to receive input on the following questions:

1. Please provide examples of migrants’ contributions to various sectors of society and any relevant statistical or disaggregated data based on age, gender, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity, migration status, or other categories.
2. What positive measures are taken by States at the local, national, regional and international levels that facilitate, maximise and optimise migrants, their families and communities’ contributions in origin, transit and receiving societies? Please provide details, which may include, but are not limited to, development and/or implementation of legislative, policymaking, and institutional frameworks; regularization mechanisms and integration programs; social integration and social cohesion efforts; material and/or financial support; recruitment opportunities, education and/or training; access to health, social welfare, justice and reparation.
3. What positive measures are implemented by civil society organisations and non-governmental stakeholders in maximising and optimising migrants’ contributions? If so, please provide details.
4. What obstacles are there in law and practice which hinder the realisation and/or recognition of migrants’ contributions in communities of origin, transit and destination? Please provide details, which may include, but are not limited to, development and/or implementation of legislative, policy and institutional frameworks as well as public discourse.
5. How effective are existing mechanisms used by migrants and their families in overcoming hindering factors that they are subjected to?
6. How can we raise awareness, rethink and change the way migration is spoken about, especially when harmful narratives on migration are inserted into the public discourse and politicised?
7. What practical recommendations would you propose in order to effectively address these ongoing challenges and protect migrants’ human rights in origin, transit and host communities?

How inputs will be used

All submissions will be posted on the mandate’s website. Should you wish to maintain confidentiality of your submission, kindly clearly indicate it at the moment of submission.

For more on information on the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants please click here.