ASIATODAY.ID, NEW YORK – Soaring inflation, collapsing job markets, and shrinking access to healthcare and education are forcing millions of people across South and South-East Asia to migrate not by choice, but out of sheer necessity.
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) warns that regional migration has reached historic highs, revealing a deep failure of States to protect basic human rights.
OHCHR reports that communities are being pushed out by poverty, unemployment, deteriorating public services, and intensifying climate stress, leaving people with virtually no option but to leave home.
“Migration should be a choice, not an escape from desperation,” said Cynthia Veliko, Head of the OHCHR Regional Office for South-East Asia on November 27, 2025.
With decent work, healthcare, and education increasingly out of reach, millions find themselves trapped in dangerous migration routes that expose them to exploitation and life-threatening risks.
Record Migration: 72 Million People Left Their Home Countries in 2024
In 2024, more than 72 million international migrants originated from South and South-East Asia—an almost 13 percent increase since 2020. Today, nearly one in four international migrants worldwide comes from this region.
Youth and women are disproportionately affected by joblessness, low wages, and gender-based discrimination. Meanwhile, climate change continues to disrupt agriculture and informal work, widening vulnerability.
Surging food and electricity prices and weakening local currencies have pushed low-income households to the brink. With unreliable access to education, healthcare, and stable work, migration has become a survival strategy rather than an aspiration.
The consequences are increasingly fatal: 2,514 migrants died across Asia in 2024, the highest toll ever recorded and a 59 percent rise from the previous year.
A Region Losing Its Sense of Future
A central finding of OHCHR’s assessment is the rise of “futurelessness”—a growing belief among communities that a dignified life is no longer achievable at home.
“Education, healthcare, decent work, and a healthy environment are human rights,” Veliko stressed.
“These are obligations that States must uphold to ensure dignity and equality for all.”
OHCHR calls on governments to rebuild public systems, ensure equal access to essential services, and strengthen the social contract with citizens.
Behind Every Remittance: Hidden Social Costs
While remittances are crucial for millions of families and national economies, OHCHR warns of the hidden social costs masked behind the economic benefits.
For low-income households, most remittance income goes toward basic necessities—food, utilities, and emergency healthcare—leaving little for education or long-term stability.
The human consequences are profound:
Children grow up without parents
Elderly relatives lose care
Communities lose working-age adults
“Behind every migrant is a story of sacrifice, resilience, and hope,” Veliko said. “But too often their journeys are reduced to financial calculations, overshadowing their struggle for dignity.”
UN Calls for Action: Make Migration a Choice, Not a Last Resort
OHCHR urges decisive action:
For countries of origin:
Boost public investment in healthcare, education, job creation, and environmental protection
Reduce inequality through inclusive and fair economic policies
For destination countries:
Expand safe and regular migration pathways
For international financial institutions:
Align debt and fiscal policies with States’ human rights obligations
While people will always move, the UN stresses that migration must become a dignified choice—not an act of survival forced by collapsing rights and opportunities at home. (AT Network)
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