In the Newsweek issue of March 23, 2009, Mac Margolis wrote that with few job prospects in even the wealthiest countries, and a marked increase in anti-immigrant policy, would-be Third World emigrants have scrapped their plans to move “north’ to industrial nations. Perhaps even more significantly waves of foreign workers are starting to head back home. Joseph Chamie, the former head of the United Nations population division, says several nations are reporting net outflows of migrants including Spain, the Czech Republic, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. He says, “We may soon be seeing a tsunami of migrants returning home” How many? His conservative guess: millions. Waves of foreign workers are starting to head back home as they remain jobless even discriminated against, as host nations will prioritize first their own populace because of the global economic crunch.

As for the Philippines, emigration will still be the name of the game as overseas contract workers will still be flowing outside of the nation. “No end in sight”, as Time Magazine describes the situation in its November 24, 2008 issue entitled “the Motherless Generation” or we may even call it a fatherless generation, with about 10 percent of the nation especially women, working abroad as nurses, caregivers, domestic helpers, and most men as construction workers.

The last decades accounted for the most phenomenal migration because of media, the modern means of transportation, and the political and economic instability of poorer nations

Perhaps, what can help migrant workers is for them to be really aware of their rights as they are enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in International Laws and even in local laws. For example as stated in Article 1 of the Declaration-- All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2 elaborates even better--Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Just reading the first two articles of the Declaration will empower migrants to be conscious of their rights as persons. And there will be more awareness, if they inform themselves better about migration laws and their rights as individuals.

Hopefully, in view of the global economic crisis, persons regardless of their race, colors, nationalities will be respected, especially in this delicate issue of emigration and immigration. This is our appeal to the international community and the leaders of developed countries as we are still seeing a move to migrate to developed nations and regions. Hopefully, the positive aspect of migration will be highlighted as a key factor in nation-building. We can also solve problems of poverty which is a major cause of terrorism if on the international level there is respect for the nationalities of any person regardless of his or her race and color.

We appeal then to rich nations and their leaders to promote more favorable laws on migration since after all the strength of great nations as President John F. Kennedy was always pointing out-- is founded on the contribution of immigrants.