Migration is one of the great challenges of our time. The worldwide numbers have increased by almost 50% since 2000. 

In late December, the U.N. General Assembly took a major step forward, voting to endorse the Global Compact for Safe Orderly and Regular Migration.

This vital agreement sets up nearly two dozen objectives, and is aimed at reducing human suffering and boosting cooperation among nations on how to manage legal migration. 

"Because migration is such a complex issue, you can't just regulate it with one set of rules at an international level. There are different types of migrants." " Kristina Touzenis, tells us. "Kristina is head of the International Migration Law Unit at IOM,  where she is responsible for the activities related to international and regional law issues, both from an advocacy as well as an implementation point. She has worked in the field of international law and migration for more than 12 years, focusing both on legal and policy development.

The debate over rights for migrants is part of a much broader conversation about the strength of democracy. "Most people don't realize how dangerous it is to allow a certain section of the population to be denied their rights, because with this sooner or later it will be legitimate to deny all our rights," she says.

In this episode, our podcast host Tolu Olubunmi shares some of her personal story as a Dreamer and a migrant. Born in Nigeria, Tolu came to The United States when she was a young teenager. "Along the way I had lost my immigration status and had become undocumented: shrouded in fear and hidden in the shadows."

We hear Tolu's brave story of how she came out of the shadows to advocate for the rights of migrants.