IMA Global statement on the police raid of the office of Association of Migrant and Refugee Women (AMUMRA) in Argentina
The International Migrants Alliance (IMA) strongly condemns the raid on November 21, 2024, which occurred at AMUMRA (Association of Migrant and Refugee Women in Argentina), one of the IMA members based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The violence perpetrated by police officers ordered by the Minister of Justice under the administration of Javier Milei, should not happen to an organization of migrant and refugee women from various countries that has a mandate for social change in Argentina.
For 21 years, AMUMRA has dedicated itself as a nonprofit organization advocating for the rights of migrant and refugee women and their families. AMUMRA, which has gained local and international recognition, is involved in monitoring developments and participating in the approval of migration policy in Argentina, as well as the ratification of ILO Convention 189. AMUMRA has successfully carried out various activities using its resources, without assistance from the Argentine government.
The raid that occurred demonstrates how the administration of Javier Milei does not support the struggle of migrant and refugee women to get their rights in the host country and the movement of migrants and refugees in the country is increasingly restricted by the government. The violence and discrimination exhibited by the government limit the freedom of migrants and refugees to access the protection and rights they should receive.
The IMA condemns the actions of the Argentine government that restrict the activities of migrant and refugee advocates and calls on the Argentine government to respect the right to association as written in ILO Convention number 87. We express our support and solidarity for AMUMRA and all migrant and refugee communities around the world to keep organizing and continue fighting for migrants’ and refugees’ rights and protection.
IMA statement on 11 Filipino migrant workers forced to live in container vans in Auckland, Aotearoa
22 November 2024
The International Migrants Alliance expresses grave concern over the dire situation faced by 11 Filipino migrant workers who were forced to live in container vans in Auckland, Aotearoa. The migrant workers were promised a better livelihood by recruitment agencies but only found themselves in such exploitative living and working conditions.
This situation of the 11 Filipino migrant workers is not isolated as some migrant workers of different nationalities in New Zealand have reported issues of living in or cramped in unsanitary accommodations, experiencing exploitative working conditions, and labor trafficking.
The IMA calls on the New Zealand government to thoroughly investigate this case while providing the necessary support to the migrant workers. Recruitment agencies and companies found to be involved in the exploitation of the workers should be punished.
The IMA likewise calls on the Philippine government to provide immediate and unconditional support to their nationals, conduct their own investigation on the case, and apprehend any recruitment agency, company or individual found complicit to the case.
The IMA hails Migrante Aotearoa, trade unions and other migrants’ rights advocates in Aotearoa who continue providing support to the 11 Filipino migrant workers and all migrant workers.
The European Parliament resolution clearly affirmed the continuing solidarity and condemnations calls of our network against the Duterte administration related to human rights abuses, bloody drug-related and activists killings, the gross intimidation of media and journalists, the signing of the anti-terror law, relentless military attacks in the mountain areas, and the alarming corruption of Duterte-appointed officials.
The resolution issued clear calls targeting the ills committed by the Duterte regime, namely, condemning the following:
• The extrajudicial killings and human rights violations related to ‘war-on-drugs’ and calling the government to disband private and state-backed paramilitary groups ; and address the drug-problem as a health issue, stating “that the fight against illicit drugs must be pursued in full compliance with due process of law, in accordance with national and international law, and with emphasis on public health…” • The systemic character and violent assassinations of human rights and environmental activists, trade unionists and journalists as a way to silence critical and fearless voices in the country. • The direct act of killing of notable activists and human rights defenders: Jory Porquia, Randall ‘Randy’ Echanis and Zara Alvarez. • The end of violence against women and LBTQI people, clearly identifying the repeated misogynist and sexist statements of Rodrigo Duterte—all constituting a direct act of serious violation of their human rights and dignity. • The alarming levels of corruption of the Duterte regime. • The opportunist use of the COVID pandemic “as a pretext to limit democratic and civic space, fundamental freedoms, and the respect of the rule of law.”
On the other hand, the resolution failed to mention the militarist-induced appointments of former generals and police officers in the Cabinet and other key government offices. Such appointments are enablers of the violence-tainted governance of the Duterte regime, fomenting more human rights abuses.
As the resolution cited recent cases, specifically those of the martyred activists (Zara Alvarez, Randall Echanis and Jorry Porquia); it should not also fail to mention the inability of our Congress and the Supreme Court of their mandate to condemn the glaring acts of the desecration of human rights and dignity of Filipinos.
The European Parliament resolution assured us of their constant monitoring; giving us hope to continue denouncing the despotic President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Likewise, our continued vigilance, protests and fora; allowing even representatives from the international bodies, from the UN and among the members of the European Parliament are positively amplifying our calls from the ground—from the END of State Terrorism, thru Justice for All, and ultimately OUST Duterte.
Migrante Europe Europe Network for Justice and Peace in the Philippines (ENJPP) Promotion of Church Peoples’ Response (PCPR) – Europe GABRIELA Europe
Several international solidarity organizations in Europe paid their last respects to former peace consultant Randall Echanis and added their voices of condemnation to his brutal murder in an online “parangal” (tribute) and protest rally held last Sunday, August 16.
“I would like to join in condemning the barbaric murder of comrade Randy Echanis and to offer my condolences to his family, comrades and friends. The murder of Ka Randy extends the blood trail drawn in recent months by the massacre of leaders and representatives of the mass movement in Philippines. The blood of Ka Randy and other martyrs/victims fall on the criminal Duterte regime and the imperialists of which it is a servant to,” Italian activist Alesso Arena of the Fronte Populare in Italy and International League of People´s Struggle (ILPS) said in the online tribute.
Arena met Echanis at the peace talks meetings held in Rome where he came to hear him speak about his work on genuine agrarian reform issues and mass work in the Philippines.
Norway´s Red Party and representative of the Filipino Resource Center in Oslo, Arnljøt Ask also expressed outrage at the murder of Echanis and blamed the act solely on the Philippine government. “I can see that the fascist Duterte regime gave priority to murder this man instead of taking him to prison like Marcos and other presidents. This consistent, honest and persuading, social activist, peasant leader and peace advocate gathered support in broad circles. A killer like Duterte could not put up with that, he therefore opted to silence him.”
He also said that the dastardly act against Echanis has eroded the international community´s trust in President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Duterte´s time is vanishing. His credibility to be part of addressing political solutions over the big conflict in the Philippines has crumbled. He has to be defeated by the Filipino people and their organizations as well as the international solidarity movement all over, “ he added. Ask revealed he only met Echanis once at a peace talk meeting in Oslo but he said he emembered his “friendly” and “determined” face.
Norway serves as the third party facilitator to the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP and the National Democratic Front (NDF) and most of the meetings were held in Oslo.
Dutch youth activist Tom de Koning of the Revolutionaire Enheid in the Netherlands also sent his
condolences to Echanis´comrades and family in the Philippines and paid tribute to his contribution to the people´s struggle.
“With comrade Ka Randy in our hearts and minds, we will remember his genuine commitment to the
Filipino people, the revolution and his special contribution to the struggle for genuine agrarian reform.
We will remember Ka Randy like so many other comrades who had been in prison several times and he was never afraid to make the sacrifices in order to defend the people,s democratic revolution,” Koning told fellow activists and peace advocates in the online protest.
At some point in his tribute, Koning was fighting back tears and his voice quivered with emotions.
From Luxembourg, Julie Smit of the People´s Coalition for Food Security exhorted solidarity organizations and comrades in Europe to support the Filipino people in their struggle for peace and justice in the Philippines.
“We need to turn outrage, this grief we have, into action. It is all we can do to continue the work of Ka Randy, to continue to fight, to support the filipino people and to fight for justice so that we can arrive at the rainbow´s end,” Smits said in the online tribute.
“These people who have given their lives, they earn our deepest respect. I think it is our responsibility who are living to continue doing what we can to expose, the violent repression that is pretty escalating now under the Duterte administration,” she added.
Smits worked for 20 years in the Philippines for a Luxembourg NGO working on peasant issues and joined the solidarity movement for the Philippines after her stint in the country.
NDFP chief political consulant Jose Maria Sison and interim head of the NDF Negotiating Panel Julie De Lima also sent a video message in the online tribute condemning Echanis killing and vowing to obtain justice for his death.
Besides messages of condolences and support from the international solidarity organizations from various countries in Europe, the online protest was also joined by several Filipino organizations and peace advocates including messages from Zaria Galiano of International Migrant Alliance (IMA), trade unions and human rights activist from the UK, Rommel Abellar, Filipino scholar in Universite Catholique Louvain, Phoebe Zoe Maria Sanchez, Seyra Rico of AnakBayan Europe, Migrante Europe, Ugnayang ng mga Pilipino sa Belgium (UPB), and the Filipino Resource Center (FRC) in Norway.
The online parangal also featured videos of the late peace advocate´s life and struggle with the Filipino peasant organizations and his role in the peace advocacy in Europe as consultant on social and economic reforms to the National Democratic Front´s Negotiating Panel in the peace talks. His favorite song, “Moon River” as revealed by his wife, Linda Lacaba was also played in the tribute with tears shed in his memory by those who were at the event.
The participants also lit candles in the memory of Echanis and a two-minute of silence was observed.#
This online forum protest with coordinated outdoor demonstrations from various Filipino mass organizations in Europe, as also participated by the relevant voices of migrant Filipinos and foreign allies sharing the common call: OUST Duterte, amplifies the cry of the Filipino people. We may not be physical present in the Philippines, but we connect our lives from where we are now, to the lives of our people, of our families and especially of the suffering Filipinos – in the Philippines.
In the history of the Filipino revolutionary struggles; the migrant Filipinos, dedicated their lives for our nation’s sake, we have important roles to play: in the awakening, in the strategic campaigns and in international solidarity support.
As of late, our calls and campaigns to OUST Duterte must be amplified, especially of the emerging issues brought about by the COVID Pandemic.
Our SOMAtotal common synthesis (contributed by Migrante-Europe, Grabiela-Europe, Anakbayan-Europe, Promotion of Church People’s Response, Europe Network for Justice and Peace in the Philippines, and April 28 Coalition):
The Philippine government thru its embassies in Europe should lobby for immediate assistance of undocumented migrant Filipinos for regularization and full citizenship rights, they are among those greatly impacted by the COVID pandemic in their host countries.
The Philippine government should assist in providing necessary assistance to migrant Filipinos in the Middle East, the struggles of our brothers and sisters there are so depressing, where our government should not be content of sending back home shattered lives of OFWs and worst in coffins, almost 400 Filipinos have died in the Middle East due to COVID. Accountability of host countries and companies must be pursued in the behalf of families and relatives who have died and are in hospitals.
Migrant groups must demand accountability to our Philippine government with regard to the billion/s of loans and assistance from foreign entities and donors respectively, in aid to address the COVID-19 pandemic; and yet has failed to address the medical and economic needs of the Filipinos.
We as migrants must speak boldly in the failed approaches of the Duterte government to address the COVID crisis; clearly manifested by haphazard solutions in the midst of national confusion, instead: signed the Terror Law; continued the war-on-drugs and war-on-drugs—with recorded 300 plus killings during the lockdown; curtailed press freedom by closing ABS-CBN and targeted journalists and publications; and militarized cities and the countryside.
Collectively, we speak as one migrant’s community: End the Tyranny in the Philippines! Pursue a just and lasting peace, build a people’s authentic economic recovery, fix the dis-ordered education system, end the violent war-on-drugs and war-on-rights and provide realistic medical responses.
Bring our message of disbelief during (and after) Duterte’s SONA, his failures sealed our commitment to oust him in power.
SONAgkaisa tayong mga migrante sa Europa! SONAghimagsikan (at maghimagsikan) tayong mga migrante!
In the name of Migrant voices,
Br. Tagoy Jakosalem, OAR Promotion of Church People’s Response – Europe
The recent pronouncement of the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs last June 2, 2020 on the suspension of the planned termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippine government and the government of the United States (an agreement allowing the U.S. military to conduct joint exercises and operations in the Philippines) exhibited the continuing puppetry of the US-Duterte fascist regime.
This is not a complete turn-around of the Duterte pronouncement last January 21, 2020, when he directly spoke of terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States, but rather just part of a melodramatic propaganda of Duterte.
The US-Duterte fascist regime continues to bring a damaging anti-poor atmosphere of governance, notwithstanding the continuing violence inflicted by the military-nature of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), influencing strategies for war. Remember the destructive Marawi siege? The continuing ‘counter-insurgency’ campaigns displacing communities in the hinterlands? The non-interest and non-committal of the Duterte government in the pursuance of the peace process between the GRP and the NDFP?
The U.S.-Duterte fascist regime cooperates in the ruthless war-on-drugs and war-on-farmers through the military modernization program, enabling the 35,000 deaths in the Philippines—still death under investigation (DUI). In 2016, the U.S. government helped kickstart the launching of the Duterte war-on-drugs by committing the $32 Million support for training and services.
The US-Duterte fascist regime allows the continued killings of journalists, activists and ordinary Filipinos. Surprisingly, the state forces (AFP/PNP) remains muted in the number of deaths; with information linking themselves with the unending executions.
The US-Duterte fascist regime dictates the power-play games in the West Philippine Sea issue, at the cost of the sovereignty of the Philippine republic.
The ultimate logic of the smooth passage of the Anti-Terrorism Law in Congress is to curtail any resistance on the vested interests of the US-Duterte fascist regime. Read our statement.
The US-Duterte fascist regime must be opposed at all costs! Down with the US-Duterte Fascist Dictatorship!
The humanitarian crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic is the most urgent issue that the Duterte government must answer not the destructive militarist war game.
The action of Duterte certifying the urgency of the enacted Anti-Terrorism Bill (House Bill 6875) is endorsing a highly abusive law at the pretext of national security and for people’s welfare. This is a simple legalization of the government’s violent and bloody attacks on peoples’ organizations and its leaders, activists, critics, and other Filipino citizens.
This bill, authorizes Duterte and the Police/Military forces to:
– curtail freedom of every Filipino.
– make warrantless arrests, and longer period,
– conduct surveillance and spying on identified organizations, personalities and suspected dissenters (communications and social media).
– give unconditional rights to terrorize organizations and communities.
– abuse basic democratic and human rights of Filipinos.
All at the pretext of anti-terrorism? Shame!
For this is purely an escapism of the responsibility of the Duterte government it owes to the Filipino people during this pandemic. We are all shortchanged by this government, not addressing integrally the pandemic (health issues, like the call for mass testing; the displacement of livelihood, including employees and workers; Philhealth assistance and OFWs concerns; Education vacuum, the absence of a just recovery program and all other pressing concerns). Our government is incapacitated!
Our government is the one terrorizing the Filipino people!
While every Filipino family is looking for means to survive from the health and economic impacts of the COVID crisis; our elected lawmakers in Congress, the state forces (AFP/PNP) plus Rodrigo Duterte were able to immediately pass an anti-Filipino law—not even assuring us Filipinos of our recovery from the pandemic.
As we condemn this act of Duterte and of Congress, with the devouring mouths of the state forces ready to execute the law; we would like to re-iterate our calls for justice of the deaths of 783 Filipinos at the hands of the state forces, and the muted attitude of law enforcement agencies of not investigating the killings. Duterte is the real terrorist!
The Office of the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) recently released in social media posts (especially in Facebook) the names of organizations linking pro-people organizations to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP); fomenting threats and condemnations from among the online followers of the military and the Duterte government.
The gross red-tagging of people’s organizations, partylist groups, and even of religious groups is a blatant disregard of basic democratic rights.
These organizations are legal pro-people organizations; the partylist groups elected in Congress (Bayan Muna, Gabriela, ACT, Kabataan and Anakpawis) are all duly recognized by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), each party represents a specific marginalized sector in the country, bringing pro-people concerns thru participation in Congress. And other organizations representing the media, students, indigenous people, migrants, environment, farm workers, urban poor, labor and others.
The religious groups identified are the following: National Council of Churches in the Philippines, Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), Promotion of Church Peoples’ Response (PCPR). The tagged organizations are duly recognized faith groups doing spiritual and social ministry to Filipinos, with longstanding history for promoting social justice and defending human rights.
Migrante International, an international organization of migrant Filipinos abroad (and a co-signatory of this call) is one those red-tagged in social media; we manifest our support to Migrante, aware that this organization will not be cowed by this recent malicious branding.
Rodrigo Duterte and his war-freak police and military forces, in the name of National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), is using the dirty-old tactic of red-tagging.
We are all aware that this recent red-tagging is stained with violence and malicious intent as it were in the past, consistently defaming the value of human rights and of our dedication to serve the poor. We want to remind the implementors and campaigners of this red-tagging scheme that we will pursue legal investigation and accountability for the threats, intimidations and violence done to the leaders, organizers and members of the named groups.
We call our fellow Filipinos to never be deceived by the hopeless campaigns of the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC); be completely aware that the Department of National Defense, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other sectors of the state forces are using peoples’ money for this media campaign enterprise; and be vigilant that our own government is sanctioning the killings and salvaging of our activists, organizers and members of peoples’ organizations.
As the country faces the grim impacts of the pandemic, and as the Filipino people are suffering from the incapacities of government response; the military and their agents have still the nerve to instill violence and threats to organizations and individuals. Recently, Carlito ‘Karletz’ Badion, Secretary-General of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY) was murdered by the state-forces in Ormoc, Leyte. As we condemn this vicious killing of our comrade, we offer our salute to ‘Ka Karletz’ for his selfless dedication and service to the urban poor.
Our network of organizations in Europe condemn this malicious red-tagging of our allied organizations, fellow activists, and members of the red-tagged groups! We are not terrorists! The Duterte Government is! The AFP-PNP tandem is the one terrorizing our organizers and leaders in the communities, with threats and deaths! You are the terrorists in military clothing!
The International Migrants Alliance – Europe (IMA-Europe) – a grassroots-led regional formation of organizations of and migrants, immigrants, refugees and displaced peoples – joins the world in its fight to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic exposed not only the flawed global health care systems of even the highly industrialized countries and their satellite states, but also laid bare the bankruptcy of capitalist neoliberalism and the need for system change. The inevitable collapse of financial markets and loss of jobs, personal incomes and life savings are causing untold anguish and panic around the world. A deep global depression is imminent.
file foto of Jon Bustamante
We salute all the health workers and other frontliners, substantial numbers of whom coming from migrant and immigrant communities, who daily expose themselves to the risk of infection to serve those in need. We express our highest respect for those who have already fallen in the course of their service, and we mourn for the tens of thousands who have succumbed to the sickness.
Among the victims of this pandemic are destination countries with a dense population of migrants, refugees and displaced people. Grassroots organizations and their service providers from these communities are calling for access to social and health services and protection for these vulnerable groups most often overlooked by government policies responding to the COVID-19 crisis.
Many migrants, refugees and displaced peoples are also left to their own devices to procure personal protective equipment that can protect and safeguard their health, if they even have the means to get it. With the ‘users pay’ in place even on health services, they shoulder the expenses for individual protection given their meager salary and the increasing support they have to send to their families back home who are also facing similar difficulties due to the pandemic and government policies or lack of it.
In these difficult times, especially worrisome are the conditions of undocumented migrants who were already vulnerable even before the outbreak. Members of the IMA-Europe have reported that undocumented migrants in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium and in other European countries where there is a highly militarized response to the crisis, fear being accosted and/or arrested on the streets for not having the proper identification, stay and work permits if they need to go to work or buy their provisions. This compounds their fear and anxiety of losing substantial ‘no-work no-pay’ income and the threat of losing their jobs.
file foto of Jon Bustamante
But because of the pandemic, there is now an even more urgent crisis in the shortage of health workers and a dire need for them in many European countries including Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK. Deals are being brokered between many sending countries and EU member states to bring in nurses and health workers, farm and other frontline workers in order to respond to the shortage. And yet when they are brought in to do the same kind of job as local workers, they are paid less. They are also required to go through stringent requirements before they are given resident and citizenship rights. At the same time, discrimination, xenophobia and hate crimes are being fanned by rightist groups especially against Asian migrant and refugee communities who are unfairly profiled as virus carriers.
In the UK, Ireland and Spain, undocumented migrant workers and asylum-seekers, including those with professional medical training are already being recruited to work in care homes and hospitals in response to the medical emergency. In recognition of the vulnerable situation of these workers, Portugal*1 granted full citizenship rights to all migrants and refugees to allow them access to health care and financial aid during the pandemic. A similar call for temporary regularization of undocumented migrants is being made by French parliamentarians.
As we face the pandemic, we need to strengthen the solidarity among migrants, refugees and displaced people with workers and the local population in receiving countries and in the sending countries. We need to continue the fight not only against the virus but also against forced migration, capitalist exploitation, and imperialist plunder and aggression.
file foto of Jun Bustamante
We need to call on policy-makers to ensure that during this pandemic, vulnerable communities of migrants, refugees and displaced people are protected and afforded social and welfare assistance in recognition of their sacrifices and contribution towards alleviating the current global health crisis. The International Migrants Alliance (IMA)-Europe calls on all solidarity allies and friends of migrants, refugees and displaced peoples to demand –
– Regularization and full citizenship rights for all migrant workers, refugees and displaced peoples in the pandemic frontlines of Europe, ensuring their access to equal workers’ rights and social and welfare benefits, NOW!
– Equal access to health care, social and welfare assistance to communities of migrant, refugee and displaced peoples during the pandemic!
– The right to family reunification of migrants, refugees and displaced people!
– Universal right to health and public health for all and not for private profit!
– Bailout WORKERS, not multinational corporations!
– Sign and ratify ILO ( International Labor Organization) Domestic Workers Convention 189!
LONG LIVE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!
International Migrants Alliance (IMA) – Europe Zaria Galliano Chairperson
*1 Schengen Visa Info, 2020. Portugal Grants Migrants and Asylum Seekers Full Citizenship Rights During COVID-19 Outbreak, www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/portugal-grants-migrants-and-asylum-seekers-full-citizenship-rights-during-covid-19/ Accessed, 13 April 2020.
The migrants (regular and irregular), refugees, asylum seekers and displaced peoples are the most vulnerable population in our global society.
The current COVID-19 pandemic moved us to organize the April 28 Coalition (an alliance of 65 different groups and delegates championing migrants and refugees welfare) to pursue the collective call for the “Regularization and/or granting of full citizenship rights for all migrants (regular and irregular), refugees, asylum seekers and displaced peoples.”
The following are our calls for European legislators/lawmakers, to:
(1) Legislate the regularization and/or granting of full citizenship rights for all migrants (regular and irregular), refugees, asylum seekers and displaced peoples.
(2) Ensure the provision of health assistance and other social services regardless of immigration status and address homelessness and food insecurity.
(3) Stop the immigration detention and deportation of individuals and families.
(4) End the global inequalities—within and among nations.
