Days Until International Migrants Day

About International Migrants Day

December 18 marks the anniversary of the UN General Assembly's 1990 adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, and was designated as an annual observance in 2000.

The UN estimates several hundred million people live outside their country of birth in a given year, a figure the observance uses to frame migration as a defining feature of the contemporary global economy.

The day is used to promote awareness of migrants' contributions to both origin and destination countries, as well as the risks many migrants face during transit, particularly on irregular migration routes.

The International Organization for Migration, a UN-affiliated body, coordinates much of the day's global messaging, publishing annual reports on migration trends, including migrant deaths recorded along major transit routes.