OHCHR says millions migrate out of necessity as jobs, services fall short in Asia
By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS- UN human rights office said on Thursday that soaring inflation, fragile job markets and shrinking access to healthcare and education are pushing millions of people in South and South-East Asia onto risky migration paths as regional migration reaches historic highs.
OHCHR said people across the region are migrating “not by choice, but out of necessity,” driven by the systemic deprivation of economic, social and cultural rights at home. Poverty, unemployment, weak public services and climate stress are eroding livelihoods and leaving millions with few alternatives but to leave.
Cynthia Veliko, head of the OHCHR Regional Office for South-East Asia said “Migration should be a choice, not a necessity born of desperation.”
She said “When people do not see a future for themselves at home because their rights, such as decent work, adequate education and healthcare, are not available to them they can be forced into unsafe migration and exploitation, often at great personal cost to themselves and their families.”
In 2024, over 72 million international migrants originated from the region, a nearly 13 per cent increase from 2020. Almost a quarter of all international migrants worldwide now come from the region, OHCHR stated.
OHCHR reported that youth and women affected by unemployment, low wages and gender-based discrimination, while climate change is increasingly disrupting agriculture and informal work.
It noted that rising food and electricity prices and depreciating local currencies are placing a heavier burden on poorer households, which already spend more than half their income on food. Without reliable education, healthcare and stable work, families are increasingly turning to migration as a survival strategy.
OHCHR said that the consequences are increasingly deadly.
According to UN migration data at least 2,514 migrants died across Asia in 2024, the highest toll ever recorded for the region and a 59 per cent increase from the previous year.
The agency stressed that a central finding is a growing sense of “futurelessness” across parts of the region, where people no longer believe they can secure a dignified life at home.
Ms. Veliko said that “These are not merely individual aspirations. Education, healthcare, decent work, and a healthy environment are human rights – duties that States must uphold to ensure dignity and equality for all”.
“Governments should build inclusive societies through sustained investment in public services and ensure fair and equitable access to resources.”
OHCHR also highlighted the hidden costs of remittances, which are vital to many families and national economies but often mask deeper social damage.
It noted that for poorer households, money sent from abroad is frequently used to meet basic needs such as food, utilities and emergency healthcare, leaving little for education or long-term stability.
Children grow up separated from parents, elderly relatives lose care and communities lose working-age adults, it added.
“Behind every migrant is a story of sacrifice, resilience and hope,” Ms. Veliko said.
“Too often, their journeys are reduced to economic decisions, obscuring the deeper struggle for dignity for themselves and for the loved ones they leave behind.”
UN human rights office urged governments in countries of origin to prioritize public investment in health, education, job creation and environmental protection, while reducing inequality through inclusive economic policies.
It also called on destination countries to expand safe and regular migration pathways and on international financial institutions to align debt and fiscal policies with States’ human rights obligations.
The office said people will always move, but with adequate rights and opportunities at home, migration should become a genuine choice not an act of last resort.
