A broad range of factors continue to determine the movement of people. They are either voluntary or forced movements as a result of the increased magnitude and frequency of disasters, economic challenges and extreme poverty, or conflict. All will significantly affect the characteristics and scale of migration in the future. Migrants contribute their knowledge, networks, and skills to build stronger, more resilient communities. This future can be shaped through impactful decisions to address the challenges and opportunities presented by global mobility, and people on the move, to the global social and economic landscape.

Approximately 281 million people are international migrants representing 3.6 per cent of the global population. Every year, people around the world face the devastating impacts of conflicts, diseases, disasters, and climate change that force them to migrate.

At the end of 2020, a staggering 55 million people were internally displaced (up from 51 million in 2019). 48 million were due to conflict and violence while 7 million were due to disasters. While some regions are affected more than others, no nation is spared the risks of displacement. IOM has assisted millions of migrants since it emerged 70 years ago to assist the vast number of Europeans displaced by the Second World War and continues to lead the way in promoting the orderly and humane management of migration.

In 2019 the number of people migrating for work internationally was 169 million according to the ILO Global Estimates on International Migrant Workers. This constituted nearly five per cent of the global labor force, making them an integral part of the world economy. Many migrant workers are often in temporary, informal, or unprotected jobs, which exposes them to a greater risk of insecurity, layoffs, and poor working conditions. Migrants' contribution as critical front-line work during the COVID-19 pandemic is an attestation of the importance of labor migration in keeping us safe.

In addition, the remittances continue to offer lifelines to families of migrants in their countries of origin, ensuring their basic needs are met and spurring local markets at a time when COVID-19 has heavily affected economies, especially those of Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Amidst the ongoing pandemic, migrants continued sending money to their countries of origin defying predictions that remittances would decline steeply. Officially, according to the World Bank, recorded remittance flows stood at $704 billion with 540 billion remitted to low- and middle-income countries in 2020. In 2020, more than $412 million of personal remittances were remitted to North Macedonia, representing 3.3% of the country GDP.

As IOM has seen repeatedly during its 70-year history, conflict and disasters are pushing people out of their homes in search of safe haven. They are often faced with risks of trafficking and exploitation in their journeys which limit their potential. States should put in place and implement protection mechanisms for more effective access to regular migration pathways to not only uphold the fundamental human rights of migrants on the move but also maximize their potential to contribute.

Regional mobility is essential for national economic recovery efforts to be successful. Ensuring migrant workers can safely cross borders in a manner that addresses legitimate public health concerns benefits us all – a key part of IOM's 70-year mission. The role of cross-border trade as an economic drier has never been clearer. The revival of economies impacted by COVID-19, including those of border communities reliant on the free flow of goods, rests on finding innovative ways to reduce mobility restrictions and facilitate the movement of goods, services, and skills.

The contribution of migrants is crucial as countries recover to build back from the COVID-19 pandemic. Their role in health, transport, and food industry remains invaluable. The stigma fueled by misinformation only limits their contribution to communities and is unacceptable. Like many who find themselves living on the margins of society, migrants are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 through job losses, evictions, and discrimination. We all benefit when they are provided with access to relevant support services. Sustainable development means progress for all, not only some. To achieve this, we must create equal societies that are inclusive of migrants.

On the International Migrants Day, it’s fundamental to recognize not only risks and needs of migrants of all genders but also their values and contributions as active agents of change, social progress, and resilience.

Check out the latest IOM North Macedonia information campaign "This is Home"