On December 18, 2000, the United Nations established International Migrants Day as a way to commemorate the adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, an international treaty created to protect migrant workers' basic human rights. Today marks its 20th anniversary. Although the United States has failed to ratify the Convention, its existence should be celebrated, because it serves as a reminder that working-class people around the world deserve to enjoy basic human dignity and respect - regardless of whether they have crossed an international border. This includes workers who may have entered a country without appropriate documentation or governmental authorization. In many cases, employers have recruited such workers in search of less-expensive labor. In others, lack of opportunity, armed conflict, natural disasters, and famine are often what motivates or forces individuals to abandon their homes and families in search of a better life. Neither scenario justifies the criminalization of migrant workers, nor their use as scapegoats for an assortment of society's ills.
The work of the Economic Policy Institute highlights the severe challenges faced by U.S. workers, especially in light of the current Great Recession. At EPI, we recognize that every day, migrant workers struggle alongside native-born workers for better working conditions, better pay, and a more broadly shared prosperity for all. And we appreciate the significant contributions that workers from around the world make to our country's economic and social well-being.
It is also the 10th anniversary of International Migrants Day, which should remind Congress of its duty to repair the nation's malfunctioning immigration system. A comprehensive solution would include: (1) an independent commission to regulate future flows of temporary and permanent employment-based migration, by matching foreign workers with the needs of the labor market; (2) rational, operational control of our borders and the effective tracking of foreign visitors; (3) a functioning employment authorization mechanism for employers, with stiff penalties for violators to act as a deterrent, coupled with a legalization program for the law-abiding members of the undocumented population who can demonstrate strong ties to American society and the U.S. labor market; and (4) the modification and improvement of inherently exploitative guestworker programs. Serious abuses of H-2B migrant workers in the forestry industry in many states and in construction and other jobs on the Gulf Coast, have tarnished the reputation of the United States.
America has long been considered a nation of immigrants -- but historically, its treatment of them has been far from exemplary. So, on this day, whatever your political views may be on immigration, let us agree that we can do better.