The UN remembers more than 50,000 migrants who have died in the last eight years in search of a better life

Saving their lives is "a humanitarian imperative, a moral duty and a legal obligation", recalls the organization

MADRID, 18 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The United Nations has commemorated this Sunday the International Day of Migrants with a memory for the at least 51,000 deceased who have left their lives on the dangerous migratory routes during the last eight years.

In 2020, more than 281 million people were international migrants, while more than 59 million people were living as internally displaced persons at the end of 2021.

"Migration is a powerful agent of economic growth, dynamism and understanding. However, when it is not regulated, when it occurs through more dangerous routes, the cruel kingdom of traffickers, the price it exacts is terrible", lamented the UN Secretary General António Guterres.

The UN also remembers thousands of disappeared on land and sea, each of them "a sister, a brother, a son, mother or father" before launching a plea for their human rights, which must be respected "without any type of discrimination regarding the conditions of their displacement, whether forced, voluntary or authorized".

Migrants have proven to be a source of prosperity, innovation and sustainable development for countries of origin, transit and host countries, according to the UN.

"Your financial contribution offers a lifeline to families and stimulates local markets, especially those in low- and middle-income countries, while your role in the labor market is priceless, as is evident from the front line response to the pandemic," adds the organization.

The United Nations thus calls to do everything possible "as a humanitarian imperative, moral duty and legal obligation" to avoid any loss of life, while also drawing attention to the 22 million people who end up internally displaced each year due to the climate crisis.

In this regard, the Secretary General recommends "expanding and diversifying safe paths for migration" and "greater international support to ensure that it is an option, not a necessity."