On International Migrants Day, “it is time to consider essential rights as not only fair but efficient,” suggests Johan Ketelers, Secretary General of the International Catholic Migration Commission.

“The formula for migrants that stands out as the world standard is the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and the members of their Families which was drafted with great care by governments, ratified by a range of countries of migrant origin, destination and transit, and calls for cooperation among those countries in managing migration. He observes that, "the Convention calls for a better organization of migration especially in the context of the growing labour needs of so many industrialized countries, and increasingly dangerous migratory routes.”

In Pope Benedict XVI’s message for the 96th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, the Holy Father urges greater protection of migrant children under another international Convention as well: the Convention on the Rights of the Child, whose 20th anniversary this year presents an occasion to appreciate the consistency of rights among both conventions.

A few of the rights and principles recognised by both Conventions;

• Right to life.
• Rights to basic health care and education.
• Protection of the family as the fundamental unit of society; access to legal status and integration responsibilities of migrants and their new societies.

In ICMC’s experience, much of the work of integration is local, but integration very clearly requires national policies that emphasise sensible access to legal status and family reunification.

As we look to the New Year, we encourage the adoption of policies in which family holds the ultimate importance, and in which essential work and workers are given legal status, rights and protection that is fair as well as efficient.

To read full press release, please see the PDF attachment below.

********

Note to editors: December 18 is International Migrants Day, designated by the UN to commemorate the date in 1990 on which the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and members of their Families was adopted by the UN; now the seventh of the eight core international human rights treaties.

Sense and solidarity on migrant rights (415.87 KB)