InternationalMigrantsDay

ESCAP will convene the Second Asia-Pacific Regional Review of Implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration with the Regional United Nations Network on Migration for Asia and the Pacific at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok from 4 to 6 February 2025.

Second Asia-Pacific Regional Review of Implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration for Asia and the Pacific, Day 1 - Morning Plenary

To mark International Migrants Day, the ITUC organised a webinar, in which trade unions from every region shared their experiences of building union power with migrant workers. The webinar highlighted the importance of ensuring democracy at work for migrant workers, including the effective exercise of their right to freedom of association and collective bargaining through trade unions.

Migrant workers are:

Often the victims of forced labour, abuse and exploitation.

Disproportionately represented in informal work and sectors where precarity is the norm.

On International Migrants Day 2024, the ITUC calls on all governments to implement rights-based migration policies in collaboration with trade unions.

The Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers, indicates that 167.7 million migrants were part of the labour force of their destination countries in 2022. Of these, 102.7 million were men and 64.9 million were women (rounded figures). This represents an increase of more 30 million since 2013, an increase that was mainly observed between 2013-2019. The majority of migrants in the labour force were concentrated in high-income countries, which accounted for 68.4 per cent of the total (114.7 million people), followed by 17.4 per cent (29.2 million) in upper-middle-income countries.

Regional distribution

The majority of migrants in the labour force were concentrated in Northern, Southern, and Western Europe; Northern America; and the Arab States. The share of migrants in the labour force living in Northern, Southern, and Western Europe increased from 22.5 per cent in 2013 to 23.3 per cent in 2022. In contrast, the share of migrants in the labour force of Northern America and the Arab States experienced slight declines.

Labour market inclusion

Of the 167.7 million migrants in the labour force in 2022, 155.6 million were employed, while 12.1 million were unemployed. Significant gender disparities persisted, as migrant women had an employment-to-population ratio of only 48.1 per cent, compared to 72.8 per cent for migrant men. Migrants faced a higher unemployment rate (7.2 per cent) compared to non-migrants (5.2 per cent), with migrant women (8.7 per cent) experiencing higher unemployment levels than men (6.2 per cent). This disparity may be driven by factors such as language barriers, unrecognized qualifications, discrimination, limited childcare options, and gender-based expectations that restrict employment opportunities, particularly for women.

The importance of care and services

A significant proportion of migrants – 68.4 per cent – were employed in the services sector, compared to 51.5 per cent of non-migrants. This trend was largely driven by the global demand for care and domestic work, particularly among women. 28.8 per cent of migrant women and 12.4 per cent of migrant men were employed in care economy, compared to 19.2 per cent of non-migrant women and 6.2 per cent of non-migrant men.

International migrants are playing a crucial role in the global economy in high-income countries and in key sectors such as services, notably care provision.

The 4th edition of the ILO Global estimates on International Migrants report offers a thorough analysis of international migrants' participation in the global labour force. It examines labour force participation trends and presents a detailed overview of the critical role international migrant workers play in the global economy. The report addresses key challenges while providing regional estimates highlighting the diverse dynamics of labour migration.

Amid rising labour shortages and with employers struggling to find skilled workers, labour migration, if managed properly, can help widen the pool of available skills. This podcast explains what the ILO is doing to help migrant workers acquire the skills they need to find decent jobs, and employers find the skilled migrant workers they need for their enterprises.

Amid rising labour shortages and employers around the world struggling to find skilled workers, labour migration, if managed properly, can help widen the pool of available skills. But the complex issue of increasing migration and the skills challenges faced by migrant workers and employers is huge. So how can we help migrant workers acquire the skills they need to find decent jobs, and employers find the skilled migrant workers they need for their enterprises? And what is the ILO doing to address this question, both in destination countries and countries of origin? In this episode, the ILO’s Christine Hofmann, Regional Skills Specialist for Africa, addresses these issues and the policy response.

Watch the 570th Meeting, 38th Session, Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)

552nd Meeting, 38th Session, Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)

Consideration of Türkiye

Informal meeting with NGOs and NHRIs

The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW) is the body of independent experts that works to protect the rights of the millions of migrant workers around the world.

Migrant workers and their families often experience marginalization, xenophobia, and poor living and working conditions. In serious cases, they suffer exploitation, expulsion, and risk to life. The Committee monitors how States are implementing the Convention and protecting the human rights of migrants.

Related Sites and Documents

CMW 38th Session (03 Jun 2024 - 14 Jun 2024)

Watch the 551st Meeting (2), 38th Session, Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)

The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW) is the body of independent expert that works to protect the rights of the millions of migrant workers around the world.

Migrant workers and their families often experience marginalization, xenophobia, and poor living and working conditions. In serious cases, they suffer exploitation, expulsion, and risk to life. The Committee monitors how States are implementing the Convention and protecting the human rights of migrants.

Related Sites and Documents

CMW 38th Session (03 Jun 2024 - 14 Jun 2024)

Watch the 551st Meeting, 38th Session, Committee on Migrant Workers (CMW)

"Facilitating Regular Pathways to a Better Future: Harnessing the Power of Migration" is the the of the International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) 2024 (organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Watch the (4th meeting) International Dialogue on Migration 2024!

United Nations Headquarters

IOM - UN Migration; IOM - UN Migration in West and Central Africa, IOM Asia-Pacific, IOM Central Asia, IOM Arabic - المنظمة الدولية للهجرة, UN Global Compact for Migration, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency,

UN Web TV

International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) 2024 on the theme "Facilitating Regular Pathways to a Better Future: Harnessing the Power of Migration" (organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Watch the (3rd meeting) International Dialogue on Migration 2024!

International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) 2024 on the theme "Facilitating Regular Pathways to a Better Future: Harnessing the Power of Migration" (organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

This session will contribute to:

An evidence-based understanding of the challenges and opportunities for migration today andtomorrow, including geopolitical crises and scaling-up of solutions, as well as ways to address gaps in current knowledge.

Identifying innovative and cutting-edge solutions that governments at local, national, and regional levels have already put in place or could develop in the future, to harness the potential of regular pathways for migration as part of a 360-degree approach to human mobility.

Unpacking how multilateral action and broad-based partnerships including private sector, diasporas and local communities, at the national, regional and global levels to facilitate regular and safe pathways for migration contribute to the response to some of the most distressing crises in the world, supporting integration and the transition to peace and prosperity.

Understanding how to achieve more accessible, people-centered, rights-based, accessible, sustainable and safe regular pathways, including key policy, operational and technical solutions that should be in place throughout the migration cycle.

Related Documents

Concept note

Watch the (2nd meeting) International Dialogue on Migration 2024!

The International Dialogue on Migration (IDM) 2024 on the theme "Facilitating Regular Pathways to a Better Future: Harnessing the Power of Migration" is organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

This session will contribute to:

An evidence-based understanding of the challenges and opportunities for migration today and tomorrow, including geopolitical crises and scaling-up of solutions, as well as ways to address gaps in current knowledge.

Identifying innovative and cutting-edge solutions that governments at local, national, and regional levels have already put in place or could develop in the future, to harness the potential of regular pathways for migration as part of a 360-degree approach to human mobility.

Unpacking how multilateral action and broad-based partnerships including private sector, diasporas and local communities, at the national, regional and global levels to facilitate regular and safe pathways for migration contribute to the response to some of the most distressing crises in the world, supporting integration and the transition to peace and prosperity.

Understanding how to achieve more accessible, people-centered, rights-based, accessible, sustainable and safe regular pathways, including key policy, operational and technical solutions that should be in place throughout the migration cycle.

Related Documents

Concept note

Watch the (1st meeting) International Dialogue on Migration 2024!

The Skills Dimension in Realizing Opportunities for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration - The event will pinpoint specific opportunities for leveraging good practices including international cooperation and joint action based on international human rights and labour standards to inform future policy and practice, including for the next IMRF.

Watch the High-Level Panel on Regular Migration Pathways!

Watch the 1st Meeting - Second Regional Review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

2nd Regional Review of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (RRGCM)