International Migrants Day: Take the Time to Mourn the Death of Migrants

December 18 is International Migrants Day, a day designated for promoting the rights of migrant workers and their families.

Filipino and other Asian organizations first started celebrating this day in 1997, but it was not until 2000 when the Untied Nations decided to officially rule December 18 as International Migrants Day.

Although this day is meant to recognize and celebrate the millions of migrants living throughout the world, this year, the focus will be on the migrants who have lost their lives. According to a press statement released by the U.S. Department of State, more than 5,000 migrants died during their journey to a new life.

Jen Psaki writes: "On International Migrants Day we recognize the millions of people around the world who cross borders in search of a better life and we celebrate their contributions. But this year it is also a day to mourn the thousands whose journeys began in desperation and hope but ended in death."

Psaki added that migrants do not only face the dangers of travel, they also have to deal with factors, ranging from human smuggling and trafficking to discrimination and abuse. Psaki and several other organizations stressed the importance of saving and protecting the lives of migrants throughout the world.

"Political decision-makers need to show leadership by ensuring the human rights of migrants are protected, instead of taking cheap shots through scaremongering tactics," said Sherif Elsayed-Ali, Head of Refugee and Migrants Rights at Amnesty International. "Poor migrants are the perfect political scapegoats - they have no money, no influence and they can't vote. So if you're a government whose policies are letting people down, you can blame it all on immigration."

Amnesty International has highlighted certain cases of economic exploitation occurring in Qatar, Indonesia and Hong Kong. Without protection from the local authorities, migrants end up making extremely low wages while working in dirty and unsafe conditions. They also face forced labor as well as physical and sexual violence.

The organization added that in European nations, there has been an increase in anti-immigrant sentiment. Without help, the migrants who are forced to leave their own countries due to wars and poverty risk their lives by using dangerous routes to get to Europe.

"As Fortress Europe builds ever higher walls with border security driving its response to migration people are increasingly taking dangerous routes in search of safety and dignity," said Sherif Elsayed-Ali. "Tens of thousands of migrants and refugees make the dangerous sea journey to Europe each year. The fact that thousands of them die along the way should be a wake up call for EU member states that they need to prioritize saving lives over closing borders."

On top of these dangers, Amnesty International addressed the use of detentions that can last up to months or even years and violate human rights. Although these issues cannot be fixed overnight, they must be properly addressed.