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The United Nations Network on Migration calls upon Member States to deliver on their commitments made in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) to safeguard the human rights of migrants and their communities, protecting and enabling their freedom to make safe and informed decisions whether to stay or go when confronted by the risk and impacts of disasters, climate change and environmental degradation.

When a boat crammed with over 500 women, men, and children sank off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa ten years ago, the world said “never again.” Today, on the 10th anniversary of that shipwreck, we have not lived up to that commitment; 2023 has recorded the deadliest first quarter since 2017 and by 2 October, 2,517 people were accounted as dead or missing this year alone in the Central Mediterranean.

The UN Network on Migration urges Member States to recognize migrants’ and diasporas’ vital contributions to the sustainable development of all societies and address the all too frequent instances in which migrants’ rights are insufficiently protected, respected and fulfilled.