In 1997, Filipino and other Asian migrant organizations began celebrating and promoting December 18th as the International Day of Solidarity with Migrants. This date was chosen because it was on this day in 1990 that the United Nations adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrants Workers and Members of Their Families.
In late 1999, as a result of an online campaign, the official UN designation of an International Migrant’s Day was finally proclaimed on December 4, 2000.
The UN proclamation of the International Migrant’s Day is an important step, offering a rallying point for everyone across the world who is concerned with the protection of migrants. The UN invited all UN member states, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations to observe this day by disseminating information on human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants, sharing experiences, and undertaking action to ensure the protection of migrants.
Education for Justice Resources:
- Litany: Desparate Crossings
- Prayer Service for Migrants
- Prayer for Migrants
- Unit: Connecting with the Migrant Experience
- Film Discussion: abused: The Postville Raid
- More EFJ resources on Migrant Workers
Statements of Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States:
- “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey” A 2003 Pastoral Letter concerning migration from the Catholic Bishops of Mexico and the United States.
- National Migration Week
