International Migrants Day 2025: Theme, History, Significance And Quotes

International Migrants Day 2025 theme is is ‘My Great Story: Cultures and Development.’

International Migrants Day is observed each year on December 18 to acknowledge the millions of people who leave their homes in search of safety, opportunity and dignity across borders. As migration continues to shape societies worldwide amid rapid global change and geopolitical pressures, the day is a reminder of the human stories behind movement and displacement. The day promotes the protection of migrant rights and draws global attention towards their role.

On International Migrants Day, people and welfare communities highlight the challenges and difficulties faced by international migrants and call for a more humane and just world for all.

International Migrants Day 2025: History And Significance

On December 4, 2000, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated December 18 as International Migrants Day. The day was established after the UN noticed a large and widespread movement of migrants across the world. December 18 marks the anniversary of the 1990 adoption of the ‘International Convention’ for the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and their family members by the United Nations.

16 years later, on September 9, 2016, the General Assembly of the UN adopted a set of commitments for the ever-growing population of migrants and refugees, pledging to improve the safety and well-being of such displaced persons.

Worldwide, International Migrants Day is observed to promote the protection of migrant rights, acknowledging their contribution and addressing the challenges they face. Several welfare organisations host campaigns to raise awareness for the same and call for proper action to safeguard the migrants.

International Migrants Day 2025 Theme

The theme for the 2025 International Migrants Day is “My Great Story: Cultures and Development.” The theme highlights the positives of migrant presence and its impact on society. Human mobility doesn’t just drive growth, it enriches societies and helps communities connect, blend, adapt and support one another. As migration continues to impact global economies, communities and development, this message is even more important.

International Migrants Day 2025: Quotes

1. “We cannot and should not stop people from migration. We have to give them a better life at home. Migration is a process, not a problem” – William L. Swing
2. “History in its broadest aspect is a record of man’s migrations from one environment to another” – Ellsworth Huntington
3. “Migration is an expression of the human aspiration for dignity, safety, and a better future. It is part of the social fabric and our very make-up as a human family” – Ban Ki-moon
4. “All human stories are migration stories because everyone is a refugee from their own childhood” – Mohsin Hamid
5. “We can’t deter people fleeing for their lives. They will come. The choice we have is how well we manage their arrival, and how humanely” – Antonio Guterres.

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