The UN Development Programme calls for restrictions to be lifted on the movement of migrant workers. It should be made easier for unskilled workers in particular to find other jobs when they become available.

The UNDP urges developed countries to fight prejudice against migrant workers. Many people believe that foreign workers take jobs from local workers, while statistics show that this is not the case.

The UN organisation says migrant workers are vital to global economic recovery, and will fill the gap left by shrinking workforces in industrialised countries as a result of shrinking populations.

The more than 200 billion euros in remittances sent home annually by migrant workers have helped double school enrollment rates and reduce child poverty in their home countries.