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This comprehensive brief identifies a range of key contemporary challenges for human rights, development, and governance of international migration as an all-encompassing human, social, economic, political, and environmental phenomena. It premises that migration is fundamentally about development, human rights, and social welfare, showing that labour and skills mobility is key to sustaining viability of labour forces and economies and to obtaining return on capital in a globalized economy. It notes that over 90 percent of migration today results in employment and economic activity outcomes. Sustaining development in all regions depends on migration. The article discusses the structural and systemic imperatives for mobility of people worldwide and it identifies 20 law, policy and practical challenges for economic and social development, human rights, welfare of people, and for governance. The article reiterates the comprehensive international legal framework for governance of migration and reviews especially relevant global policy frameworks: the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the New Urban Agenda. Discussion addresses abusive exploitation of migrants versus lacuna in legal protection; contentions between capital and labour in deregulation impacting migrant workers; dangers of xenophobia; gender specificity in migration; restrictions in access to social security for migrants; challenges to social and family welfare; growing skills and training constraints, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and often inappropriate response measures. The trend of regime change towards deregulatory migration control is raised, with mention of concerns on the Global Compact on Migration. A comprehensive Agenda for Action outlines policy lines and practical actions for rights-based, economically sustainable, and socially responsible governance of migration. This article and the action agenda build on the plenary address by the author to the Global Parliamentary Consultation on International Migration held in Rabat, Morocco in December 2018.
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