About International Migrants Day
International Migrants Day is observed on 18 December, the date the UN General Assembly adopted the convention on the rights of migrant workers in 1990. The day was created in 2000 and covers everyone who has moved for work or safety, from Indian workers in the Gulf to labourers who travel between Indian states. In 2026 it falls on Friday, 18 December 2026.
Why is International Migrants Day on 18 December?
Because of a treaty. 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. Ten years later, on 4 December 2000, the Assembly adopted resolution 55/93 and named 18 December International Migrants Day.
The convention came into force on 1 July 2003, once 20 countries had ratified it. India has not signed or ratified it, and neither have most of the countries where Indians go to work, including the Gulf states, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. That gap is the honest starting point for any discussion of the day.
How many Indians are migrants?
More than most people assume, and the biggest number is inside India, not outside it.
The Ministry of External Affairs counts about 3.73 crore overseas Indians, counting both non-resident Indians and people of Indian origin. The largest numbers are in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. The World Bank ranked India the top recipient of remittances in 2024 at about $129 billion, ahead of Mexico at $68 billion and China at $48 billion.
Inside India, the 2011 Census counted 45.6 crore migrants, meaning people living somewhere other than their place of birth or last residence. Most of that is within a state, and about 70 per cent of it is women moving after marriage. Inter-state migration was 5.4 crore. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar sent the most people to other states; Maharashtra and Delhi received the most.
| Kind of migrant | What their day looks like |
|---|---|
| Gulf worker on an ECR passport | Usually a two or three year contract, recruited through an agent, with family left in Kerala, UP, Bihar or Telangana. Sends money monthly, visits every year or two. |
| Student or professional abroad | Moves on a study or skilled visa, often intends to settle, sends money home irregularly but in larger amounts. |
| Inter-state worker | Works construction in Mumbai, garments in Tiruppur or a factory in Gurugram. May be paid through a contractor and often lives at the worksite. |
| Seasonal migrant | Moves for the cane crushing or harvest season, sometimes with the whole family, children's schooling interrupted each year. |
| Marriage migrant | Overwhelmingly women, moving to a husband's village or city, the single largest category in the Census. |
What protects Indian workers who go abroad?
The main law is the Emigration Act, 1983. Under it, people with an Emigration Check Required endorsement on their passport need clearance from a Protector of Emigrants before taking up a job in one of the listed ECR countries, most of them in the Gulf and West Asia. The Protector checks the employment contract and can refuse clearance if the terms are exploitative, the working conditions unsafe or the arrangements for coming home inadequate. Employers and recruiting agents register on the government's eMigrate system.
The system is imperfect and workers still arrive to find a different job and a lower wage than promised. Three practical things help anyone going abroad for work.
- Check the agentRegistered recruiting agents are listed by the Ministry of External Affairs. An agent who asks for a large cash fee and no receipt is the first warning sign.
- Keep your own papersCarry copies of the contract, passport, visa and agent receipts, and leave a set with family at home. An employer holding your passport is not legal in most places.
- Save the mission numberNote the Indian embassy or consulate helpline for the country before you fly. That is the number that matters when wages stop.
Inside India, the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 requires contractors to register workers and issue passbooks, but registration has been low and enforcement weak. Newer measures include the e-Shram register for unorganised workers and One Nation One Ration Card, which lets a ration card be used in a different state.
What to write on International Migrants Day
Two different audiences. Families who have someone working away actually want a message. Everyone else needs information, not sentiment.
Do
- Write about ordinary things to family abroad: food, the weather, a cousin's exam result, the date of the next visit.
- Thank the workers who build and clean the city you live in, and pay them on time.
- If you post facts, use dated numbers from the World Bank, the MEA or the Census.
Avoid
- Don't call migrant workers "outsiders" or use the word "migrant" as an insult.
- Don't turn someone's separation from their children into an inspirational story.
- Don't publish a domestic worker's or driver's photograph and name without asking.
Eighteenth today, Migrants Day. We are fine here, the money came. Eat properly and don't skip sleep. Counting the months to your leave.
You have built half of that city and none of us have seen it. Send a photo of the site. We miss you at the table.
A year in a new city, still sending money home, still calling every Sunday. That is not a small thing. Proud of you.
I know December is hard when home is 2,000 km away. Come over for dinner this weekend. Bring nothing.
Today is International Migrants Day. India has around 3.7 crore people overseas and received $129 billion in remittances in 2024, the most of any country. Our security, housekeeping and cafeteria teams are mostly inter-state migrants. Say hello by name today.
To everyone who works away from home so that home works: you are owed wages on time, a written contract and a safe site. Not thanks. Those things.
Related pages: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on 9 January, World Refugee Day on 20 June, and Human Rights Day on 10 December.
How to wish someone on International Migrants Day
For most people this is not a card day, with one exception: families with someone working away from home. A good message to them is ordinary and specific, about food, money sent, a video call, a ticket home. For colleagues and workers' groups, write about pay, papers and safety rather than sacrifice. Do not romanticise migration as an adventure. For many people it is the only option available.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is International Migrants Day in 2026 and 2027?
International Migrants Day is on 18 Dec every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is International Migrants Day in 2026?
International Migrants Day 2026 falls on Friday, 18 December 2026.
Why is International Migrants Day observed on 18 December?
Because on 18 December 1990 the UN General Assembly adopted the convention on the rights of all migrant workers and their families. The Assembly named the date International Migrants Day in resolution 55/93 on 4 December 2000.
Has India signed the UN migrant workers convention?
No. India has neither signed nor ratified the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Nor have most major destination countries, including the Gulf states, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
How much money do Indians abroad send home?
India received about $129 billion in remittances in 2024, the largest amount of any country, according to the World Bank. Mexico was second at $68 billion and China third at $48 billion.
How many migrants are there inside India?
The 2011 Census counted 45.6 crore internal migrants, about 38 per cent of the population. Around 5.4 crore of them had moved to another state, with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar sending the most people and Maharashtra and Delhi receiving the most.
What is an ECR passport?
ECR stands for Emigration Check Required. Holders of an ECR-endorsed Indian passport need clearance from a Protector of Emigrants under the Emigration Act, 1983, before taking up employment in a listed set of countries, most of them in the Gulf and West Asia. The check exists to screen the employment contract before the worker leaves.
Is International Migrants Day the same as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas?
No. International Migrants Day is a UN observance on 18 December for all migrants and migrant workers. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is an Indian government event on 9 January that marks Gandhi's return from South Africa in 1915 and focuses on the overseas Indian community.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .