The office reports that many in the region are migrating out of necessity due to systemic economic, social, and cultural rights deprivations. Factors like poverty, unemployment, insufficient public services, and climate stress are impacting livelihoods, forcing millions to leave.
“Migration should be a choice, not a necessity born of desperation,” said Cynthia Veliko, head of the OHCHR Regional Office for South-East Asia.
“When rights such as decent work, education, and healthcare are unavailable, people can resort to unsafe migration and exploitation, often at great personal cost.”
Migration Trends
In 2024, over 72 million international migrants came from the region, a nearly 13% increase from 2020. Nearly a quarter of the world’s international migrants are from this area.
Youth and women face challenges like unemployment, low wages, and gender discrimination, while climate change disrupts agriculture and informal work.
Increasing food and electricity prices and weakening currencies burden poorer households, prompting many to see migration as a survival strategy.
The consequences are deadly. At least 2,514 migrants died in Asia in 2024, the highest recorded for the region, a 59% rise from the previous year, according to UN migration data.
A Sense of ‘Futurelessness’
A key finding is a growing sense of “futurelessness,” where many no longer see a dignified life at home as possible.
“Education, healthcare, decent work, and a healthy environment are human rights that States must ensure,” Ms. Veliko stated.
“Governments should build inclusive societies through sustained public service investments and fair resource access.”
Hidden Costs of Remittances
OHCHR emphasized the hidden costs of remittances, crucial for families and economies but concealing deeper social issues.
For poorer families, remittances often cover basic needs, leaving little for education or stability. Children grow up without parents, elderly relatives lack care, and communities lose working-age adults.
“Behind every migrant is a story of sacrifice, resilience, and hope,” Ms. Veliko commented. “Their journeys are often reduced to economic decisions, ignoring the struggle for dignity for themselves and their loved ones.”
Recommendations
The UN human rights office called for originating countries’ governments to prioritize public investment in health, education, job creation, and environmental protection, while reducing inequality through inclusive economic policies.
It also urged destination countries to expand safe and regular migration pathways and for international financial institutions to align fiscal and debt policies with States’ human rights duties.
The office asserts that people will always move, but with adequate rights and opportunities at home, migration should be a genuine choice, not a last resort.
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