International Migrants Day: The People Who Build Nations.

Every year on 18 December, International Migrants Day invites the world to pause and recognise a simple truth often lost in political noise: migrants don’t just arrive in nations — they help build them.

Across history, human movement has shaped every society on Earth. People migrate for safety, opportunity, love, survival, and hope. They carry skills, languages, cultures and ideas that quietly — and sometimes loudly — reshape the places they settle. From medicine and science to food, sport, art and industry, migrants have been central to national growth, innovation and cultural life.

Australia is no exception. In fact, modern Australia is unimaginable without migration.

Following the devastation of World War II, Australia’s population was transformed by successive waves of migrants from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Pacific. They built roads, railways, factories and cities. They staffed hospitals and schools. They opened small businesses that became local institutions. They expanded Australia’s cultural vocabulary — its music, cuisine, languages and worldview.

Yet this story of contribution has always existed alongside resistance.

Australia’s migration history is also marked by exclusion and racial hierarchy, most notably through the White Australia Policy, which shaped who was allowed to belong for much of the 20th century. Even after its formal dismantling, suspicion toward migrants from certain backgrounds — particularly non-European, Muslim, Asian and African communities — has persisted in public debate, media narratives and policy settings.

Each new wave of migrants has faced familiar accusations: that they will not “fit in,” that they threaten jobs, values or security. History repeatedly shows these fears to be unfounded. What changes instead is the nation itself — becoming more resilient, more dynamic, and more connected to the world.

Multiculturalism, often debated but rarely fully understood, is not about erasing identity. It is about recognising that national strength grows when people are allowed to bring their full selves — language, culture, faith and memory — into public life. In Australia, multiculturalism has expanded ideas of what it means to be Australian, without diminishing the country’s democratic foundations.

Still, challenges remain. Racism, xenophobia and political scapegoating continue to target migrant communities, especially during periods of economic stress or global instability. Hate speech, misinformation and cultural exclusion remind us that belonging is not automatically granted — it is negotiated, defended and reaffirmed.

International Migrants Day is not simply a celebration. It is a reminder. A reminder that migration is not a threat to nations, but a defining human constant. A reminder that prosperity has always relied on movement, exchange and openness. And a reminder that the measure of a society is not how it treats the powerful, but how it welcomes those who arrive with little more than courage and hope.

In recognising migrants, we recognise the unfinished work of building fairer, more inclusive nations — and the shared responsibility to ensure that diversity is met not with fear, but with dignity.