Every day, thousands of people cross borders in search of something fundamental: a better life. Many hope to grow professionally; some long to offer their children a dignified future; others flee violence or hunger. Migration is neither a new nor an exceptional phenomenon: it is as old as humanity itself. What is relatively new is our ability to manage it better, with more humanity and vision. That is what the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is for.
Adopted in 2018 by the vast majority of United Nations member states, the Compact is based on a powerful premise: migration, when well managed, benefits the whole society. This global agreement is not an abstract idea: it is a roadmap that guides concrete decision-making to build safer societies, more dynamic economies, and more cohesive communities, where opportunities for people are expanded and the potential of migration is unleashed.
The Compact is structured around 23 objectives that range from protecting the rights of migrants to their access to basic services and the recognition of their economic and cultural contributions to their host communities.
When governments commit to these objectives, the impact on people’s lives is tangible. In Brazil, a visionary migration policy gave rise to Operation Welcome, which combines regularization with real access to opportunities for Venezuelan people. The results speak for themselves: 77% of those who benefited from this initiative found employment within a couple of weeks, and 98% accessed essential services such as health and education.
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These inclusive and well-designed policies also strengthen host countries. Latin America and the Caribbean are proving this with facts: nearly 70% of Venezuelan people in the region have regular status, which has facilitated their households contributing more than 10.6 billion dollars annually to the economy, strengthening key sectors such as housing, food, education, and health. These data are proof that when doors are opened, the benefits are shared.
To keep the commitments of the Compact alive and consolidated over time, countries meet periodically at the International Migration Review Forum, known as IMRF. Convened by the United Nations General Assembly, this space allows governments to share their achievements honestly, recognize pending challenges, and define priorities for the coming years. It is not a forum for declarations: it is a mechanism for collective learning.
From May 4 to 8, the IMRF will be held again in New York. It will be an opportunity to review what has been achieved, identify gaps, and adjust the course when necessary. It will also be an opportunity for good practices to spread among regions; for Latin America and the Caribbean to demonstrate that migration can be a driver of progress; and to reaffirm that good migration governance transforms lives.
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