International Migrants Day is observed every year on Dec.18 to honor the contributions made by immigrants across the world.

The term migration is defined as the movement of people from one country, locality or place of residence for settling in another. These movements can be either voluntary or forced. Migration can happen due to extreme circumstances like disasters, economic challenges, poverty, terrorism or human rights violations.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations agency for migrants, was established in 1951 to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants and to promote international cooperation on migration issues. Data shows around 3.6% of the global population, which comes to around 281 million people, were international migrants in 2020.

This year's theme for International Migrant's Day is "Harnessing The Potential Of Human Mobility." IOM is aiming to realize the full potential of human mobility while ensuring the fundamental human rights of migrants.

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Here are some quotes that will help you understand the significance of migration and the contributions of immigrants, courtesy Brainy Quotes.

  1. "Migration isn't a one-directional process; it's a colossal process that has been happening in all directions for thousands of years." – Mohsin Hamid
  2. "If our goal is to slow migration, then the best way to do so is to work for a more equitable global system. But slowing migration is an odd goal, if the real problem is global inequality." – Aviva Chomsky
  3. "When it's well managed, migration works in the national interest, for our communities, economy and country." – Priti Patel
  4. "It is time we recognized the huge contribution that migration has made to the economic growth of this country." – Jeremy Corbyn
  5. "I personally tend to believe that there is a right to migration, the same way there's a right to love whom you like and to believe what you believe and to say what you want to say." – Mohsin Hamid
  6. "Migration powers economic growth, reduces inequalities and connects diverse societies. Yet it is also a source of political tensions and human tragedies." – Antonio Guterres
  7. "History in its broadest aspect is a record of man's migrations from one environment to another." – Ellsworth Huntington
  8. "Migration is as natural as breathing, as eating, as sleeping. It is part of life, part of nature. So we have to find a way of establishing a proper kind of scenario for modern migration to exist. And when I say 'we,' I mean the world. We need to find ways of making that migration not forced." – Gael Garcia Bernal
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