UNITED NATIONS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday warned of the world's collective failure to manage migration.

"Migration is not the crisis. The crisis is the world's collective failure to manage it together," Guterres said at the first plenary meeting of the International Migration Review Forum 2026.

He criticized the political scapegoating and dehumanization of migrants, noting that more than 15,000 people have died or disappeared along travel routes in two years.

"Migration is an integral part of the human story -- an activity as old as humanity itself. It has helped build societies, grow economies and spur innovation across the world," he said. "Yet today, migration is being distorted by fear and misinformation. Migrants are scapegoated for political gain, dehumanized in public discourse, and denied their rights and dignity."

Over the past four years, at least 200,000 people were trafficked, most of them women and girls. Families and children continue to be detained. Countless workers remain exploited and excluded from labor protections, said Guterres.

The UN chief said human rights must be front and center with regard to migration. Governments must step up efforts to end discriminatory practices, to ensure due process, to prioritize alternatives to detention, and to end migration detention of children and families.

He said migration must be made safer, with early-warning systems, better data, and stronger cooperation to identify and assist migrants in distress, as well as search-and-rescue and disembarkation in line with international law.

Human smuggling and trafficking must be cracked down on, said Guterres.

"States must work together to dismantle these criminal networks -- by cutting off their financial flows, strengthening cross-border law enforcement cooperation, and holding perpetrators to account at every level," he said.

Regular pathways must be made real and workable as regular pathways reduce irregular movements, curb exploitation, meet labor market needs, and keep families together, he said. "When pathways are predictable, fair, and accessible, everyone benefits."

Guterres also emphasized the importance of expanding opportunities in countries of origin.

"Investing at scale in education, skills acquisition, and decent work, especially for young people, can jumpstart careers and reduce the pressure to embark on perilous journeys. Migration should be a genuine choice," he said.

The UN chief said that cooperation across borders, across government, across society is needed, as no country can manage migration alone.  ■