International Migrants Day 2025: Rights, social justice and democracy for all workers

As we approach the 2nd International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) in May 2026, governments must deliver on the promise of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM): safe, orderly, and regular migration that respects human rights and labour standards.

Trade unions worldwide have engaged in this process to ensure that migration policies uphold the principles of a New Social Contract: fair labour migration governance, an end to exploitation and equal treatment for all workers.

Today, migration is weaponised by far-right and authoritarian forces to divide societies, weaken democratic institutions and scapegoat migrants. This anti-migrant agenda is an attack on democracy itself. Migrants face violent raids, arbitrary detention, and unlawful deportations, while exploitative recruitment practices and employer-tied schemes trap workers in abuse and poverty. These policies harm all workers and deepen global inequality.

“Migrants are not a threat. They are workers, families, and members of our communities. When human rights are denied because of one’s migration status, democracy itself is weakened for all.” ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle

“On this International Migrants Day, we call on governments to reject fear and division and commit to rights-based governance of migration. Together, we can build a future where every worker, regardless of status, is treated with dignity and respect.”

To ensure rights-based governance of migration, the ITUC calls on governments to:

• Place labour rights at the centre of systems governing migration – ratify and implement International Labour Standards for all migrants regardless of their status, including the ILO migration-specific Conventions No. 97 and No. 143, as well as guaranteeing freedom of association and the right to organise and collectively bargain, and respect the ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
• Ensure fair recruitment for decent work – eliminate recruitment fees and costs to migrant workers and regulate recruitment and temporary employment agencies to prevent human trafficking, forced labour, exploitation and other abuses.
• Promote rights-based migration pathways ensuring access to decent work – implement regularisation programmes and oppose exploitative, temporary, employer-tied labour migration schemes. Foster migrant workers’ access to decent employment including vocational and language training and programmes for the recognition of skills, prior learning and qualifications of migrant workers as a tool towards the formalisation of work.
• Eradicate xenophobia and racism for social cohesion – promote non-discrimination and implement programs for socio-economic inclusion of migrant workers and guarantee equal treatment and access to quality public services.
• Remove barriers to migrants’ access to social protection – ensure that migrants are covered by universal social protection systems and floors, and grant portability of social protection entitlements.
• Implement living wages to ensure decent jobs for migrant workers, and to combat rampant wage theft.
• Provide effective access to justice and remedies against labour rights violations for all migrant workers regardless of their status.
• Address root causes of forced migration such as the lack of decent work opportunities, poverty, conflict, inequality, discrimination, repression and adverse impacts of climate change in origin countries.
• Strengthen the role of social partners and tripartism to design, implement, monitor and evaluate policies and programmes concerning migration.

The upcoming IMRF will result in a Progress Declaration including recommended actions negotiated by governments. This will be a critical opportunity to secure concrete commitments and ensure that migration governance is shaped through social dialogue with trade unions and rooted in decent work for all. This is essential to prevent migration from exacerbating global inequalities and to protect democracy worldwide.