By Ben Thatcher
For too long, migration policies have ignored a crucial reality! That migrants with disabilities exist, and they matter. The global migration system is built on frameworks that rarely consider accessibility, inclusion, or the unique challenges faced by persons with disabilities throughout the migration journey. But change is on the horizon.
The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM) presents a major opportunity to push for migration governance that is not just efficient, but equitable. The conversation is no longer about tokenistic disability inclusion in migration policy—it’s about how we make it happen.
The GCM: A Framework with Gaps to Fill
Adopted in 2018, the GCM is the first-ever United Nations agreement to establish a comprehensive framework for global migration governance. It lays out 23 objectives to improve migration policies, protect migrants’ rights, and foster international cooperation. While non-binding, it serves as a roadmap for inclusive, human rights-based migration systems—including recognition of migrants in vulnerable situations, such as persons with disabilities.
But recognition alone is not enough. Despite disability being mentioned six times in the GCM resolution, including references to the CRPD and in objectives on vulnerabilities (Objective 7), access to services (Objective 15), and remittances (Objective 20), there are glaring omissions. For instance, disability is absent from Objective 1 on disaggregated data, making it nearly impossible to measure disability-responsiveness or implement evidence-based policies (DMN, 2025). The vagueness surrounding disability in the GCM has left commitments unfulfilled, with no clear framework for action (DMN, 2025).
A Growing Focus on Disability in Migration Governance
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is stepping up. The latest Asia-Pacific Migration Report 2024 goes beyond the original GCM disability mentions, identifying key barriers across the migration cycle. It highlights:
- Systematic exclusion of migrants with disabilities from regular migration pathways
- The link between migration, workplace injuries, and acquired disabilities
- The lack of targeted services for returnee migrant workers with disabilities
One example provided by ESCAP (2024: 78) is that many Tajik migrant workers develop serious health conditions or disabilities while working in high-risk sectors such as construction, agriculture, and hospitality in Russia and Kazakhstan. When they return home, they often face stigma, lack official recognition of their disabilities, and struggle to access employment, social protection, and healthcare—challenges that are even more severe in rural areas. Women migrant workers with disabilities are particularly vulnerable, as they have lower chances of obtaining disability status or financial support and often return to precarious conditions, relying on family networks or facing economic hardship alone.
The report makes clear recommendations for disability-responsive migration governance:
- ✅ Objective 1 – Data Disaggregation: Collect and analyze migration data disaggregated by disability to inform policy decisions (ESCAP, 2024: 135).
- ✅ Objective 2 – Climate & Migration: Integrate migration into climate action plans with disability-responsive protections for climate-induced migrants (ESCAP, 2024: 55).
- ✅ Objective 12 – Arrival & Screening: Ensure individualized, rights-based screening and assistance at entry points (ESCAP, 2024: 56).
- ✅ Objective 17 – Ending Discrimination: Amend immigration laws to eliminate disability-based discrimination and work with OPDs to develop inclusive policies (ESCAP, 2024: 136).
- ✅ Objective 21 – Reintegration: Establish sustainable reintegration programs for returnee migrant workers with disabilities, with independent monitoring of their rights (ESCAP, 2024: 81).
The Time for Action is Now
Change is happening, but not fast enough. Ableist migration policies still exist, from restrictive visa health assessments to inaccessible migration services. The challenge now is ensuring that disability-responsive governance moves from policy papers to real-world action. The GCM and the latest Asia-Pacific Migration Report highlight clear steps toward progress—but these commitments must translate into real, measurable change.
Governments, international organizations, and civil society must work together to dismantle discriminatory policies, improve data collection, and ensure that migration systems are accessible and inclusive. This is not just about policy—it’s about human rights, dignity, and justice.
At the DMN, we are working alongside partners to push for stronger, disability-inclusive migration policies across ASEAN and beyond. If you’re a policymaker, researcher, advocate, or person with lived experience, we want to hear from you.
💬 Join the conversation.
📩 Get in touch with DMN and our partners to collaborate, share insights, and drive action.
🔗 Together, we can build a migration system that leaves no one behind.
References
ESCAP (2024) Asia-Pacific Migration Report 2024. Bangkok: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Available: https://www.undp.org/asia-pacific/publications/asia-pacific-migration-report-2024.
DMN, 2025. Assessing disability responsiveness of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). Manila: Disability Migration Network. Available: https://disabilitymigrationnetwork.com/research-papers/.
Disability Migration Network (DMN) 