UN Chief Urges Cooperation, Rejects Fear-Based Migration Narratives

(MENAFN) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on countries on Friday to reject fear-driven narratives surrounding migration, emphasizing that “migration is not a crisis” and advocating for enhanced international collaboration to manage human mobility effectively.

“Human mobility is profoundly shaping our world,” Guterres said during a briefing to the UN General Assembly on his report regarding the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

“Yet instead of responding with cooperation, the global reaction has too often been driven by fear, division, and rank opportunism,” he warned, noting that “across continents, migrants are being instrumentalized to score political points – with devastating human consequences.”

Guterres stressed that “migrants are not criminals. They are victims,” and identified “ruthless smuggling and trafficking networks” as the true perpetrators. “They profit from despair, exploit the absence of safe alternatives, and thrive when cooperation fails,” he said, urging that these networks “must be pursued, prosecuted and brought to justice.”

Highlighting tightening restrictions on legal migration channels, Guterres observed that “Safe and regular pathways are becoming ever more restrictive, especially for families and low-wage workers who face the steepest barriers.” He added, “When pathways are blocked, migrants do not disappear.”

He concluded that “the crisis is the failure to manage it together” and outlined two key priorities: expanding and simplifying accessible pathways for regular migration, and ensuring development cooperation that meaningfully invests in education, skills, and decent job opportunities in countries of origin.

“Let us choose cooperation over chaos, and dignity over discrimination,” Guterres urged.

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