UN: Migrants 'a remarkable engine for growth'

UNITED NATIONS — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling migration "a positive global phenomenon," saying migrants around the globe contribute greatly to the world economy.

Guterres said at a news conference Thursday that "migrants are a remarkable engine for growth," though over 60,000 people on the move have died since 2000.

He spoke ahead of Friday's expected agreement by the UN General Assembly on a new Global Compact for Safety, Orderly and Regular Migration — minus the United States and probably Hungary.

Guterres says the compact is aimed at strengthening international cooperation against human traffickers, protecting victims, and increasing opportunities for legal migration.

The compact is not legally binding and will be formally adopted at a ministerial meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, in December.