A/HRC/56/54 I. Introduction 1. The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Gehad Madi, submits the present report to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-sixth session, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 76/172 and Council resolution 52/20. 2. In the present report, his first as the mandate holder, the Special Rapporteur has chosen to focus on migrants’ contributions to society. He notes with concern that, in recent years, the political discourse surrounding migration has taken a markedly negative, inflammatory and divisive turn. This worrying trend is reflected in the adoption of migration policies steeped in an alarmist mentality, which, paradoxically, often run counter to the best interests of economies and the fabric of societies. 3. Much of the rising disinformation and misinformation about migration today is created and driven by highly coordinated groups, utilizing sophisticated online campaigns designed to distort public perceptions of migration and migrants. These narratives, based on unfounded fears and prejudices, are not confined to the fringes of the Internet; they are sometimes echoed, reinforced and legitimized by politicians. This trend is allowing xenophobia, racism, hate speech and violence against migrants to spread, with migrants’ contributions ignored, and is damaging societies. Between 2014 and 2020, there was a disconcerting 250 per cent rise in far-right attacks.1 4. The Special Rapporteur calls for a refocusing of attention on migrants’ contributions to societies. By adopting a human rights-based approach to examine the factors facilitating and hindering migrants’ contributions, he seeks to offer a balanced, evidence-based perspective. The Special Rapporteur acknowledges that focusing on migrants’ contributions is not a novel endeavour. Scholars, international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society actors and Governments have long highlighted the economic, cultural and social benefits that migrants offer. He emphasizes that migrants are rights holders and that their rights should be protected regardless of the contributions that they make to society. However, at a time when many have forgotten, or outright deny, the benefits of migration, the present report serves as a reminder of the wealth of opportunities that migration presents to societies willing to embrace diversity and inclusion. 5. Reframing perceptions of migration is crucial to ensuring that it is viewed not as a security threat that requires control and containment but as a valuable opportunity that, when managed well, protects the rights of migrants and yields a multitude of benefits. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur draws on a wealth of examples provided by States, illustrating proven practices that harness the positive impacts of migrants and strengthen social cohesion during their integration. 6. In the present report, the term “migrants” is used to encompass all individuals who have crossed an international border, regardless of their migration status, to reside in another country for more than 12 months. It includes forcibly displaced persons, including asylum-seekers and refugees, and those compelled to move for other reasons.2 7. In the preparation of the present report, the Special Rapporteur issued a call for input, inviting States and other stakeholders to submit insights, information on legal frameworks, policies and practices, and recommendations. The responses offered evidence of the positive contribution of migrants.3 In addition, the Special Rapporteur consulted academic research and reports published by international organizations and other actors. 8. In section II of the present report, the Special Rapporteur summarizes his recent activities. In section III, he examines migrants’ contributions. In section IV, he explores barriers to the recognition of migrants’ contributions. In section V, he delves into factors that 1 2 3 2 See Institute for Economics and Peace, Global Terrorism Index 2020: Measuring the Impact of Terrorism (Sydney, 2020). See Recommendations on Statistics of International Migration: Revision 1 (United Nations publication, 1998). The submissions that have informed the present report are available at https://www.ohchr.org/en/calls-for-input/2024/call-input-report-revisiting-migrants-contributionshuman-rights-based. GE.24-07075