Over 200 million people are working outside their country of birth or citizenship. Together with their families, migrant workers make up the large majority of all international migrants. Therefore, migration is first and foremost a labour issue. It is about people moving to find decent employment for a better future for their families.
Most countries are origin, destination or transit countries of migrant workers, and many countries are all three. Unfair treatment of migrant workers undermines wages and working conditions for all workers. Ensuring the protection of migrants’ rights is essential to achieve Decent Work for all men and women. Migrants’ rights are workers’ rights.
RATIFICATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS ON MIGRATION
MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS ARE WORKERS’ RIGHTS
ILO Convention No. 97: The Migration for Employment Convention (Revised) 1949, provides for equality of treatment between national and migrant workers in wages, social security and trade union activities.
ILO Convention No. 143: The Migrant Workers Convention (Supplementary Provision) 1975, protects the basic human and workers’ rights of all migrant workers, and provides measures to combat abuses such as smuggling and trafficking.
UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICRMW): The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (1990) ensures that all migrants, regardless of their migratory status, have their basic human rights respected and have access to a minimum degree of protection throughout the migration process: preparation, recruitment, departure, transit, stay, potential return and reintegration.