UN chief says all migrants entitled to equal protection

By:Xinhua
update:December 16,2019

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 16, 2019 -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday stressed that all migrants are entitled to equal protection of all their human rights.

Migrants are integral members of society, contributing to mutual understanding and sustainable development in communities of both origin and destination, Guterres said in a message to the International Migrants Day, which is to be observed on Dec. 18.

Safe, orderly and regular migration is in the interest of all, and national priorities on migration are best achieved through international cooperation, he added.

"Yet, we often hear narratives around migrants that are harmful and false. And we often witness migrants facing unspeakable hardship as a result of policies shaped more by fear than by fact," he said.

The UN chief urged the international community to bring the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration to life so that migration works for all.

Over 160 UN member states adopted the compact in December 2018 in the Moroccan city of Marrakech. It is the world's first intergovernmental agreement to cover all dimensions of international migration.