March 15, 2021 Share Migrants move in search of safer and better lives. They contribute to the welfare and sustainable development of their countries of origin and destination. Yet, they face complex human rights challenges and vulnerabilities that we must address to ensure that no one is left behind. In the Asia-Pacific region, the number of international migrants has grown from 52 million in 1990 to over 65 million today, roughly 25 per cent of all the world’s international migrants. Notably, 70 per cent of all international migrants in the Asia-Pacific come from within the region. Most of the region’s migrants send remittances to families and others in their origin countries. This is important because remittances support household consumption and contribute to poverty reduction. Between 2009 and 2019, remittances to the region rose from $183 billion to $330 billion, nearly half of the 2019 global total of $717 billion. But since COVID-19, remittances have declined drastically. Those to Eastern Europe and Central Asia declined over 16 per cent from $57 billion in 2019 to $48 billion in 2020. Remittances in East Asia and the Pacific have fallen more than 10 per cent over the same period, from $147 billion to $131 billion.