UN: Migrants are 3 per cent of population, 10 per cent of GDP

CAMEROON, Cameroon – U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling migration “a positive global phenomenon,” saying migrants around the globe contribute greatly to the world economy.

Guterres said at a news conference Thursday that “migrants are a remarkable engine for growth,” though over 60,000 people on the move have died since 2000.

He spoke ahead of Friday’s expected agreement by the U.N. General Assembly on a new Global Compact for Safety, Orderly and Regular Migration — minus the United States and probably Hungary.

Guterres says the compact is aimed at strengthening international co-operation against human traffickers, protecting victims, and increasing opportunities for legal migration.

The compact is not legally binding and will be formally adopted at a ministerial meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, in December.