19/12/2025
Honouring International Migrants Day: Beyond the Suitcase
Leaving home with a suitcase and a backpack is never just about belongings. For millions of migrants around the world, those bags also carry their dreams, skills, fears, and determination to build a better life.
According to a 2024 global migration report, an estimated 304 million people are living outside their country of origin — roughly 3.7% of the world’s population. They leave home for many reasons: to find work, to reunite with family, to study, or to seek safety from conflict, persecution, or climate-related disasters.
While labour migration still accounts for the majority of international movement, the line between “choice” and “necessity” is often blurred. For some, migration is a strategic decision to secure higher wages or better careers. For others, it is a last resort when staying means facing violence, hunger, or environmental collapse.
Gender patterns in migration are also changing. Men continue to slightly outnumber women, but the gap has been narrowing. In 2024, women represented about 48% of international migrants, reflecting not only family reunification and marriage migration, but also women’s growing role as independent economic actors and breadwinners.
By late 2023, Hong Kong had over 674,000 non‑local residents, including nearly 370,000 MDWs, mostly women from the Philippines and Indonesia. They play a vital role in caring for children, the elderly and people with disabilities, and in managing households, yet are often treated as “third‑class citizens,” valued only for their labour while their aspirations and emotional lives remain unseen.
Many leave their own families behind to work in Hong Kong, motivated by responsibility and the hope of securing a better future. As Hong Kong faces demographic change and rising care needs, its reliance on MDWs is increasing, but discussions about their legal protections, social status and long‑term well‑being lag far behind their importance. Recognizing their dignity and humanity remains an urgent task.
