ABSTRACT
Migration has become a major force in accelerating the progress of human society. The normal fl ow of migration can help people broaden their horizons, promote economic and social development and cultural exchange among countries, optimize allocation of human, technical and fi nancial resources, and enhance international cooperation and common development.1 It is an undeniable fact that migration brings forth prosperity to countries of origin as well as countries of destination. Migrants and their families benefi t from greater opportunities and better living conditions in countries of destination. If managed and administered in a systematic and sustainable manner, migration provides a ‘comparative advantage’ for stakeholders such as migrants, and countries of origin and destination. Unfortunately, migration does not bring out the expected level of development in all situations. Issues such as traffi cking in women, smuggling of children and irregular migration continue to overshadow the advantages of migration. Many experts attribute the reason for not achieving the full potential of migration to the lack of respect for migrant rights. Millions of migrants feel victimized, humiliated, discriminated against and exploited at many stages of migration. It is incomprehensible to compare migrants to ‘commodities’ (UNHCR 2009), leaving the destiny of migrant workers solely to the ‘market forces’ of demand and supply theories. Migrants deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights. There is a strong link between migrant rights and achieving development.
