MED Fora
Migration continues to shape the socio-economic and cultural landscapes of nations worldwide. Over 300 million individuals were international migrants as of recent UN DESA statistics (mid-2024). Workers migrating across borders fill labor gaps, contribute to innovation, and enhance productivity. Remittances sent by migrants to their families in home countries act as lifelines, boosting local economies and improving livelihoods. According to the World Bank, remittances amounted to over $700 billion globally in 2023, underscoring their significance in combating poverty and fostering development. However, migration also poses challenges that require collaborative solutions. The integration of migrants into host communities, ensuring decent work conditions, and protecting human rights are crucial areas where the private sector can have a transformative impact. As a matter of fact, the private sector has increasingly recognised the importance of migration both as a challenge and as an opportunity. Companies benefit from diversity, innovation, and the workforce contributions that migrants bring, but they also hold a responsibility to ensure ethical practices and sustainable engagement. As migration is not solely a whole-of-government issue, but a whole-of-society issue, the private sector is an indispensable partner, offering unique skills, knowledge, expertise, and resources for tackling today’s pressing humanitarian and development challenges. Partnering with the private sector has been and remains critical to seizing the opportunities of migration by building sustainable pathways and recognising that migrants and displaced populations bring diverse and important skills and knowledge that are key to a productive and sustainable economy.