United Nations Radio

The world's more than 200 million migrants are especially vulnerable to the financial downturn shaking the global economy.

Italy migrants

Word of this comes from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a message marking International Migrants Day being observed Thursday.
The Secretary-General says the crisis in markets has put migrants at greater risk of destitution, stigmatization, discrimination and abuse.
He says reports of layoffs and lower remittances only begin to tell the story of the human suffering that this crisis has wrought.
At the same time, he adds, migration policies are growing ever more restrictive.
Secretary-General Ban suggests that to save migrants from abuse and allow them to contribute to development in their home and receiving countries, "we must acknowledge them as human beings......whose rights must be protected".

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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