The Convention is the outcome of a long process at interna- tional level. Human flows have always been a concern of the international community and of UN agencies.The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol constituted a crucial step in improving the fate of refugees, and in establishing global management of this issue. The International Labour Organization has elabo- rated two Conventions that aim at protecting migrant workers: Convention 97 (1949) and Convention 143 (1975). In the 1970s, it was recognized that migrants constitute a