International Migrants Day

The UN Celebrates International Migrants Day

“On International Migrants Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to shape diverse and open societies that provide opportunities and lives of dignity for all migrants.”

Ban-Ki Moon and the United Nations celebrates International Migrants Day today. This is the sixteenth celebration of International Migrants Day, and it is in recognition of the increasing number and importance of immigrants and non-immigrants to countries and communities around the world. The United States has prided itself on having thriving immigrant communities, but the rest of the world has been experiencing its own migrant experiences. Western European countries post World War II have been built on the strength of migrant communities, Brazil and Argentina are renown for their immigrant communities, and Canada is a rich mosaic of migrants.

In the United States, 13% of all Americans are immigrants today and that does not include the millions of nonimmigrants who are currently residing in the country as F-1 visa students, H-1B workers, and various other visa holders. Migration can sometimes involve difficult and arduous journeys and International Migrants Day tries to draw attention to the peril of those migrations. It also rallies support against racism and intolerance encourages better public perception of migrants and migration. The State Department lamented the hardship many migrants have faced in trying to escape to better lives. This day is particularly poignant given world events recently.

International Migrants Day

“On International Migrants Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to shape diverse and open societies that provide opportunities and lives of dignity for all migrants.”

 

Ban-Ki Moon and the United Nations celebrated International Migrants Day, December 18, this past Thursday. This is the fifteenth celebration of International Migrants Day, and it is in recognition of the increasing number and importance of immigrants and non-immigrants to countries and communities around the world. The United States has prided itself on having thriving immigrant communities, but the rest of the world has been experiencing its own migrant experiences. Western European countries post World War II have been built on the strength of migrant communities, Brazil and Argentina are renown for their immigrant communities, and Canada is a rich mosaic of migrants.

In the United States, 13% of all Americans are immigrants today and that does not include the millions of nonimmigrants who are currently residing in the country as F-1 visa students, H-1B workers, and B1/B2 visitors. Migration can sometimes involve difficult and arduous journeys and International Migrants Day tries to draw attention to the peril of those migrations. It also rallies support against racism and intolerance encourages better public perception of migrants and migration. The State Department lamented the hardship many migrants have faced in trying to escape to better lives.