UN General Assembly
2021

In recent days, images of the treatment of several of my compatriots at the border between Mexico and the United States have shocked many. Without attempting to dispute the right of a sovereign State to control the entry of foreigners into its territory or to send back to their country of origin those who enter illegally, we believe that several countries that now enjoy prosperity were built by successive waves of migrants and refugees. The migration issue should remind us that human beings, fathers and mothers, will always seek to escape poverty and conflict and to provide better living conditions for their offspring. Migration will continue so long as there are areas of prosperity on our planet, while the majority of the world’s population lives in poverty, at times extreme poverty, with no prospects for a better life. Mr. President,