A/HRC/53/26 Roraima State after an increased inflow of Venezuelans. There was also growth in retail trade and exports, with a 25 per cent increase in the amount of state tax collected on the circulation of goods and services between the end of 2018 and the first semester of 2019. 43 58. Migrant workers also generate revenue for their countries of origin, which is undeniably beneficial. In India, migrant workers sent home between $90 and $100 billion in remittances in 2022 alone. In the Philippines, in 2021, remittances from migrant workers increased by 3.6 per cent to an all-time high of $36.14 billion. With reference to cultural contributions, the presence of migrant communities in their countries of destination may also help to bridge cultural gaps by promoting diversity and introducing new cultures and perspectives through various activities, including sports, community outreach and the observance of holidays. The cultural diversity owed to migratory movements allows for the sharing of new perspectives and life experiences through cross-cultural interactions, the emergence of innovative and hybrid cultural practices and a general societal openness to difference and change.44 59. In countries of destination, labour migration may also generate additional employment opportunities, rejuvenate the workforce, contribute to social protection schemes and provide such beneficial feedback effects as knowledge, skills and technology transfer. Well-governed labour migration also raises living standards and may be an important source of empowerment for migrant workers. Furthermore, women’s participation in the labour force is a driver of growth and poverty reduction, and leveraging women’s skills is essential for societies to prosper. For many women, labour migration is a positive experience, providing opportunities to strengthen livelihoods and autonomy. Evidence is mounting that gender equality in labour migration is smart economics. 60. While the Special Rapporteur takes note of the important above-mentioned information and data with respect to the contribution of migrants to the economy of destination countries and communities, he would like to emphasize the need to rethink and change the way migration is spoken about, especially when harmful narratives on migration are inserted into the public discourse. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur takes the opportunity to observe that well-meaning narratives promote the positive economic contributions migrants make to their countries of origin and destination, emphasizing the economic benefits of migration. However, it should be noted that such messaging does not tend to resonate with audiences. It also risks reinforcing the perception of migrants as a commodity or instrumentalizing them as exploitable units of labour to fulfil labour market needs. Such messaging may also invoke a negative framing, in which migrants are seen as a threat to jobs, employment standards and union power or to the welfare system. It may also jeopardize the recognition of migrants as rights holders who are entitled to decent work, social protection and benefits, regardless of their contributions. The Special Rapporteur would like to highlight the need to focus on a positive narrative in which social and cultural abundance is valued and respect for people’s rights is seen as improving everyone’s situation – when “we work together, we can achieve shared goals and improve our communities”. Centralizing non-economic values is key for societies to prosper, including such values as kindness, caring for each other and solidarity.45 2. Moving forward on regularization under international human rights law 61. While the Special Rapporteur takes note of some progress on the implementation of regularization, it is nonetheless important to refer to the challenges faced in designing and implementing regularization processes. In some countries, many people seeking asylum are considered in the same way as undocumented migrants or are granted a very precarious temporary status that does not provide adequate protection because of the lack of a legal framework and/or the implementation of a framework to protect refugees and others in need of international protection. Such lack of protection of refugees and asylum-seekers increases their risk of statelessness. Children born to undocumented refugees and asylum-seekers and 43 44 45 14 See submission from Conectas Brazil. See submission from the Migrant Forum in Asia. See OHCHR, “Step 7: do no harm – be aware of unconscious bias in messaging, and avoid discrimination” (2020). GE.23-06641