International Migrants Day2026 · Date · History · Messages · Quotes
A/RES/55/93
About International Migrants Day
International Migrants Day is observed on 18 December to recognize migrants’ contributions and focus attention on their rights, safety, dignity and the conditions under which migration takes place.
Migration includes many different situations—work, study, family, displacement, opportunity and return. The term “migrant” does not by itself describe a person’s legal status, reason for moving or protection needs.
Why International Migrants Day matters
Responsible migration coverage avoids treating migrants as a single group and avoids using nationality or migration status as a shortcut for assumptions about crime, work, culture or eligibility for services.
Legal categories such as refugee, asylum seeker, temporary worker, permanent resident and irregular migrant have distinct meanings that vary by legal framework. General observance content should not substitute for individualized immigration advice.
History of International Migrants Day
Before the General Assembly proclamation, Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/48 initiated an 18 December international-day proposal and ECOSOC decision 2000/288 recommended that the Assembly consider proclaiming it.
The UN General Assembly proclaimed 18 December International Migrants Day through resolution 55/93 in 2000.
The date also marks the anniversary of the General Assembly’s 1990 adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
United Nations Commission on Human Rights, through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/48 requested ECOSOC to consider recommending an 18 December International Migrant’s Day; ECOSOC decision 2000/288 then recommended that the General Assembly consider proclaiming 18 December International Migrants Day.
United Nations General Assembly
UN General Assembly resolution 55/93
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe International Migrants Day
Learn about a local migrant-led organization and the services or policy priorities it identifies as important.
Check the language used in a news story or social post and avoid assuming that “migrant,” “refugee” and “asylum seeker” are interchangeable.
Support credible legal-aid, language-access, employment, education or community-integration services where relevant.
Use official and current sources before sharing claims about migration numbers, visa rules, benefits or crime.
Create opportunities for migrants to speak for themselves rather than relying only on institutions to describe their experiences.
International Migrants Day Facts
International Migrants Day is observed on 18 December.
The UN General Assembly proclaimed the day in 2000 through resolution 55/93.
The date is linked to the 1990 adoption of the Migrant Workers Convention.
“Migrant” is a broad term and does not by itself determine a person’s legal category or protection status.
Immigration rules and migration statistics change and require current jurisdiction-specific sources.
International Migrants Day Messages
Wishing everyone observing International Migrants Day a day of reflection, constructive dialogue and purposeful follow-through.
On International Migrants Day, may awareness lead to informed discussion, practical action and respect for the communities at the heart of the observance.
May International Migrants Day encourage thoughtful participation, shared responsibility and action that continues after the observance ends.
International Migrants Day Quotes
“Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.”
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
UN Commission on Human Rights — resolution 2000/48 / official report (opens in a new tab)
UN Economic and Social Council decision 2000/288 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations Digital Library — A/RES/55/93 (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — International Migrants Day background (opens in a new tab)
United Nations — International Migrants Day (opens in a new tab)
Dedicated Authoritative Page
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Migrants Day?
18 December The documented recurrence rule is: 18 December.
Does International Migrants Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is International Migrants Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: United Nations international observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Migrants Day?
The reviewed sources identify United Nations General Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as United Nations Commission on Human Rights, through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Is International Migrants Day international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: United Nations international observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-05.
When is International Migrants Day?
It is observed every year on 18 December.
Why is 18 December significant?
On 18 December 1990, the UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; the international day was proclaimed in 2000.
Are “migrant” and “refugee” the same legal status?
No. Migration terminology and legal categories have distinct meanings. A general observance page should not be used to determine an individual person’s immigration or protection status.
Other observances on December 18
These observances are also listed on December 18, 2026.
Arabic Language Day
United Nations language observance
Guru Ghasidas Jayanti
Chhattisgarh government sources identify 18 December as Guru Ghasidas’s birth anniversary and describe the Jayanti as celebrated every year in the state; the High Court’s 2026 calendar sepa…
National Crime Junkie Day
Crime Junkie’s first-party fifth-anniversary page established National Crime Junkie Day for December 18, 2022 and ties the date to the podcast’s December 18, 2017 debut; a creator-linked cu…
National Day
Qatar Law No. 11 of 2007 establishes 18 December—the 1878 power-assumption date of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed bin Thani—as the State National Day and makes the annual National Day an officia…
National Underdog Day
Historical reporting directly attributes Underdog Day to P. Moeller of Clio, Michigan; modern observance histories identify 1976 as the first observed year and preserve the third-Friday-in-…