A/HRC/35/25 pressure and impetus to the need to balance labour supply and demand,3 clearly contradicting the common conception that migrants are “job stealers”. 22. Against the backdrop of a poor economic climate, the rise in nationalist populist parties and the tragic terrorist attacks around the world, xenophobia and hate speech have increased, causing a significant upward trend in negative perceptions of migrants and creating a stumbling block in the development of more efficient evidence- and human rights-based policies. 23. The use of appropriate language and studies, the presentation of facts and policies that favour diversity and the inclusion of migrants are key to facilitating the integration of migrants and their contribution to development and to reducing negative populist representations of migrants. States therefore need to develop a long-term, human rightsbased strategic vision and narrative on mobility and diversity that will give meaning, coherence and direction to current and future action. 24. A human rights-based approach would have a positive impact on the public discourse and facilitate the integration of migrants into society by changing the general perception of migration as being a burden and expense to being a shared responsibility and valuable investment. Migration supports development and prosperity at the national, regional and global levels 25. Migrants are drivers and enablers of development, contributing to economic growth wherever they go. Studies show that immigration has a minimal impact on unemployment among residents in host countries and a positive overall impact on employment generation and investment.4 Increasing evidence suggests that migrants contribute more in direct and indirect taxes than they consume in government benefits.5 In 2015, migrants sent approximately $601 billion in remittances, some $441 billion of which developing countries are estimated to have received, nearly three times the amount of official development assistance.6 26. Economic research also demonstrates that migrants complement rather than compete with citizens, therefore generating greater overall productivity within the economy.7 In a study,8 the impact of the global recession was shown to decrease but not eradicate this positive phenomenon, disproving the argument that an economic downturn justifies repressive policies against migrants. Although some nationals may be displaced by migrants in small and other specific labour markets, it is better to address such marginal consequences through retraining policies rather than by trying to curb migration. 27. Although the economic incentives to migrate are diverse and, for many, very strong, they are constantly evaluated and scrutinized by potential migrants. It is true that most migrants try to go to countries where there are jobs and where they can start integrating into society and creating a future for themselves and their families. It is equally true that prime destination countries have jobs available for migrants in the official or underground labour 3 4 5 6 7 8 6 Ernst and Young, “Tracking global trends: how six key developments are shaping the business world” (2011). Available from https://issuu.com/ezra1110/docs/tracking_global_trends/32. See Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Migration Outlook 2013. OHCHR, The economic, social and cultural rights of migrants in an irregular situation, (New York and Geneva, 2014), p. 99. See World Bank, Migration and Remittances Factbook 2016. David Card, “The impact of the Mariel boatlift on the Miami labour market”, Industrial and Labour Relations Review, vol. 43, No. 2 (January 1990), pp. 245-257; Mette Foged and Giovanni Peri, “Immigrants’ effect on native workers: new analysis on longitudinal data”, Institute for the Study of Labour discussion paper No. 8961, 2015; Andri Chassamboulli and Giovanni Peri, “The labour market effects of reducing the number of illegal immigrants”, Review of Economic Dynamics, vol. 18, No. 4 (October 2015). Francesco D’Amuri and Giovanni Peri, “Immigration, jobs and employment protection: evidence from Europe before and during the Great Recession”, Bank of Italy working paper No. 886, 2012.