Arab League countries have urged nations worldwide to recognize the worth of refugees, but also to address issues that result in the exploitation of people in distress.
The league said in a statement that many migrants contribute positively to the economies of the countries where they live to mark International Migrants Day, which is held on Dec. 18 every year.
World leaders have increasingly focused on issues related to migration and refugees over the past decade, according to the league. The May 2022 International Migration Review Forum addressed these issues in light of the resolutions passed in 2018 to endorse the “Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.”
The league listed in its statement the three major challenges that migrants had faced over the previous three years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and an increase in racism, discrimination, xenophobia, and Islamophobia. Human traffickers trap migrants at borders or at sea, in addition to putting them at risk.
Arab League countries also emphasized the significance of the Algiers Declaration, which was signed by the 31st Ordinary Arab Summit in November 2022 and committed member states to battle Islamophobia and advance tolerance and respect.
The Arab League said cases of migrants becoming stranded on rescue ships in the Mediterranean must be addressed based on several criteria, including whether they are unaccompanied children or women.
Nations must honour the UN’s human rights treaties, which require rescuing the stranded and providing them with adequate food and shelter, the league said.
Arab League assistant secretary-general Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, head of the body’s social affairs sector, urgently called for joint and coordinated action to save lives and counter all types of discrimination.
Migration and displacement are among the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in society, according to the UN. Despite their status as a source of prosperity, innovation, and sustainable development in their home and host countries, these populations are among the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in society.
More than 35,000 migrants have died or vanished since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration. The information available suggests that most disappearances occur during detention or deportation or as a result of smuggling, although there are no exact figures on enforced disappearances.
The International Organization for Migration documented at least 5,684 deaths along migration routes to and within Europe from the beginning of 2021, and it urged countries in Europe and elsewhere to take immediate and concrete measures to save lives and reduce mortality rates during migration journeys. According to information published on the UN website on October 25, 2022, the deaths of at least 5,684 people were documented.
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