The history of migration is ancient. Humanity has been migrating from one country to another for various needs.
Primarily, people migrate for personal safety, socioeconomic security, peace, and prosperity. If we analyze deeply, we will find that love is also a driving force behind migration.
According to religious beliefs, the first humans, Adam and Eve, were sent to this earth by Allah in separate locations—one in Sri Lanka and the other in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Eventually, drawn by love, they wandered the earth alone until they reunited in the plains of Arafat in present-day Saudi Arabia.
If they had not moved in search of each other, would the expansion and growth of humanity have been possible?
Over time, humans built societies, tribes, regions, and nations, creating political borders, visa regulations, and governance systems that eventually restricted free migration. However, with the advancement of science and the internet, the world has become smaller again, effectively turning into a "global village."
In this era of globalization, world powers advocated for the unrestricted movement of capital. In response, a counter-demand arose: if capital can move freely, why not labor?
Many even raised their voices for a visa-free world. However, since that demand remains unfulfilled and other obstacles persist, the migration crisis continues to escalate.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN agency working on global migration issues, highlighted the severity of this crisis in a recent report.
According to their findings, the year 2024 was the deadliest for migrants, with at least 9,000 deaths recorded across various migration routes worldwide—the highest in a decade. The UN has called this death toll "unacceptable and preventable."
Notably, since 2020, the number of migrant deaths has more than doubled.
Even more concerning is that Asia ranks highest in migrant deaths, followed by the Mediterranean, with Africa holding the third-highest death toll.
However, these figures are based on official reports from various governments, meaning the actual number of migrant deaths and disappearances is undoubtedly much higher.
Why do people leave their homelands? Once again, Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world, yet its citizens rarely feel the need to migrate.
When a country's citizens lack security, economic stability, and employment opportunities—when personal, social, and national prosperity and peace are threatened, or when war and conflict arise—people become desperate to leave.
Taking life-threatening risks, migrants set out for foreign lands, often falling victim to fraud along the way. Some even face tragic deaths in deep seas.
Yet, if every state ensured its citizens' fundamental rights, such dire circumstances would not arise. Many young men and women from Bangladesh have also suffered such cruel and unfortunate fates.
According to IOM, since 2014, more than 74,000 migrants have died or gone missing. To address this crisis, world leaders must ensure the globalization of labor and make migration processes more accessible.
At the same time, governments must guarantee their citizens’ fundamental, democratic, and civic rights, including education, healthcare, housing, and employment. But the question remains: when will the rulers awaken to this reality?
