Migrante Europe

Category: Statements

Open Letter of Filipino Migrants to Pope Francis

Pope of the Poor, Fight with Us: An Open Letter of Filipino Migrants to Pope Francis
December 18, 2014
Reference: Garry Martinez, Chairperson, 0939-3914418

Pope of the poor, fight with us.

We are Filipino migrants, immigrants, refugees from all over the world who, together with our families, call upon Your Eminence, to bear witness to our struggle. We call on you to speak in behalf of overseas Filipinos in our quest for a better life. We have experienced first-hand human and labor rights abuses and exploitation. Hear our stories and join us in our fight against modern-day slavery.

Of present, an estimated 15 million overseas Filipinos are found in over 230 countries. Massive unempoyment, landlessness, poverty and globalization have been forcing our countrymen to migrate. There exists a widespread desolation, hopelessness and desperation that have caused the Filipino people’s diaspora.

Pope of the poor, fight with us. In your tenet to build “A Church without frontiers, mother to all”, we likewise reach out to you with open arms and hearts for our common objective to open the doors of Your Church worldwide in the spirit of genuine service to the people.

Like you, we stand firm that forced migration is an anomaly and a matter of deep concern involving the lives and dignity of our migrant workers. Ours is now an era of modern-day slavery wherein our migrant workers and their families are subjected to most cruel conditions in favor of greed for remittances and the desecration of human rights.

Pope of the poor, fight with us. We have seen the absence of legal frameworks that genuinely promote and protect the rights and welfare of our OFWs and their families. We have dissected and evaluated the efficiency or lack thereof of existing government programs and discussed ways to bring these to the concern of our authorities. We realize that the Philippines has many policies and laws on migration that need to be translated into concrete action.

We have seen that the continuation and intensification of the government’s labor export policy would only add more to the sufferings of our people, making them more vulnerable to human and labor rights abuses. We ask of you to speak out against this policy. We need to address the fundamental conditions of our society, especially the unequal distribution of wealth and work among nations which drives our people to forced migration.

Pope of the poor, fight with us. We agree with you that human trafficking is indeed “a crime against humanity”. It is a violation of our fundamental rights. It breeds the evils of discrimination, criminalization of undocumented migrants and all forms of violence, oppression and enslavement.

We are also greatly disturbed and moved by the tragedy of the separation of families. We cry for the sufferings and pains of children left behind and growing up without proper guidance, parents and couples estranged from each other, and the resulting economic, emotional and psychological implications of loved ones being uprooted from their families.

We call on you to work hand in hand with migrants’ organizations and advocates in support of the plight of our Filipino migrants. There are still many things that need to be done. Pope of the poor, fight with us.

We call on Your Eminence, that through Your Office, you can help us in organizing and broadening our reach and making our voices resound. There is a dire need to consolidate our efforts in various parts of the world. Together, let us face the challenge of holding the cause of Filipino migrants and their families.

Pope of the Poor, fight with us. In the spirit of service to the people, together, let our aspirations and advocacies be realized. ###

13 January 2015
LABANAN ANG PANGANGALAKAL AT PANG-AALIPIN, PALAKASIN ANG MIGRANTE INTERNATIONAL

Mensahe sa Ika-7 Kongreso ng Migrante International
Ni Prop. Jose Maria Sison
Tagapangulo, International League of Peoples’ Struggle
Disyembre 16, 2014

Ang internasyonal na pamunuan at lahat ng kasaping-organisasyon ng International League of Peoples’ Struggle ay nagpapaabot ng taos pusong pagbati at militanteng pakikiisa sa Migrante International sa ika-7 Kongreso nito. Humahanga kami sa inyong mga tagumpay at hinahangad naming umani pa kayo ng ibayong tagumpay batay sa inyong kasalukuyang lakas at sa inyong paglalagom at pagbabalak sa kongresong ito.

Napakahalaga at napapanahon ang tema ng inyong kongreso: Labanan ang Pangamgalakal at Pangaalipin sa Pilipino sa Ibayong Dagat at sa kanilang Pamilya! Isanib ang Lumalakas na Kilusang Migranteng Pilipino sa Daluyong ng Mamamayan para sa Tunay na Pagbabago!”

Karapat-dapat na magpursigi ang Migrante International sa pagpupukaw, pag-oorganisa at pagpapakilos ng mga migranteng manggagawang Pilipino upang labanan ang pang-aapi at pagsasamantala sa kanila at ipagtanggol at isulong ang kanilang mga karapatan at kapakanan at upang itaguyod ang tunay na pagbabago sa Pilipinas at pag-unlad nang sa gayon magkatrabaho sila sa sariling bayan imbes na umalis sa bayan at mapahiwalay sa pamilya.

Dahil sa kawalan ng pag-unlad ng ekonomiya ng Pilipinas sa pamamagitan ng tunay na reporma sa lupa at pambansang industryalisasyon, sapilitang nagtratrabaho ang milyun-milyong kababayan natin sa ibang bansa. Patakaran ng rehimeng Aquino na pasidhiin at pabilisin ang pangangalakal at pang-aalipin sa Pilipino sa ibayong dagat. Patunay ito ng paglubha ng disempleo at pagbagsak ng kita sa bansa.

Ipinagmamalaki ng rehimen ang lumalaking foreign exchange remittance ng mga migranteng manggagawa. Umaabot na ito sa USD 28 billion at mga 8.7 porsyento ng Gross National Product (GNP). Mas malaki pa kaysa bahagi ng tradisyonal na iniluluwas na produktong agrikultural. Sa pangkalahatan, pangsustento ito sa mga pamilya ng mga migranteng manggagawa ang foreign exchange remittances nila.

Matapos na maipalit sa peso, ang kitang foreign exchange ng mga migrante ay pinakikinabangan ng mga bangko, malaking komprador at korap na opisyal na may mga foreign exchange accounts. Hindi ito ginagamit para sa pagpapaunlad ng ekonomiya kundi para sa pagpapanatili ng sistema ng pagkonsumo na dependiyente sa pag-aangkat ng yaring kalakal, pangungutang at panlulustay at panluluho..

Lantarang nagsisinungaling ang rehimen sa pagsasabi na mabilis ang paglaki ng ekonomiya at mayroon nang “reverse migration” o malakihang pagbabalik ng mga migranteng manggagawa. Ang paglaki naman ng GNP sa ilang taon ay dahil sa tinaguriang “hot money” o portfolio investments na pumapasok sa stock market, bond market at money market at hindi lumilikha ng mga empresa at empleyo kundi kumikita lamang ng tubo sa espekulasyon at madaling umaalis, tulad ng nangyayari na ngayon.

Malaki ang hinuhuthot ng gobyernong reaksyonaryo mula sa mga migranteng manggagawa. Sa pamamagitan ng Administrative Order 31, pinahigpit at pinataas ng rehimeng Aquino ang mga singil sa ilalim ng OWWA, Pag-ibig, Philhealth,
Department of Foreign Affairs, airport at iba pang ahensiya. Ngunit wala o labis na limitado ang mga serbisyo at benepisyo na naibibigay ng gobyerno sa mga kaso ng aksidente, pagkakasakit at pagkamatay at iba pang panganib sa panahong may kontrata o wala nang kontrata ang migranteng manggagawa.

Walang ibinibigay ang gobyerno na proteksyon at pangangalaga sa mga karapatan at kapakanan ng mga migranteng manggagawa. Bale wala sa rehimeng Aquino ang demanda na pagsabihan ang mga gobyernong tumatanggap sa mga migranteng mangggawa na irespeto ang mga karapatan nila. Hindi ipinapatupad ng rehime and Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act (RA 10022,
amended RA 8042), Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act (RA 9208) and the Overseas Absentee Voting Act (RA 9189).

Wala o salat ang tulong sa mga kaso ng karahasan, panggagahasa at pagpaslang sa mga migranteng manggagawa, sa paglabag ng mga kontrata at arbitraryong pagpapatalsik at sa mga malakihang paglikas dahil sa gera, gulo, paghihigpit o kalamidad. Sa normal or abnormal na pagtatapos ng mga kontrata sa trabaho, walang maliwanag na komprehensibong plano sa reintegrasyon ng mga balikbayan.

Ang bisa ng mga dati ninyong pagsisikap sa pag-organisa sa mga migranteng manggagawang Pilipino at mga pamilya nila sa Pilipinas ay nakikita sa pagkakaroon ninyo ng 30 chapter sa labas ng bansa at 21 sa loob ng Pilipinas. Umaasa kami na batay sa mga pag-uulat ng mga global coordinator at mga chapter delegation at talakayan ng kongreso maitatakda ninyo ang mga tungkulin at pamamaraan para maiangat sa bago at mas mataas ng antas ang inyong gawain at pakikibaka.

Malaki ang potensyal ng Migrante International sa gawain, pakikibaka at ibayong tagumpay dahil nasa ibayong dagat para magtrabaho ang mga 12 hanggang 15 porsyento (12 hanggang 15 milyon kung isama ang walang dokumento) ng populasyon ng Pilipinas o hindi bababa sa 24 por syento ng labor force na mga 62 milyon. Tantiyang 30 hanggang 40 porsyento ng mga Pilipino ang dependyente sa kita ng mga migranteng manggagawa.

Karamihan sa mga migranteng manggagawa ay kasambahay o tagalinis ng mga bahay at opisina, staff sa mga hotel at restaurant, health workers sa mga ospital, mga caregiver, skilled at unskilled workers sa mga pabrika, construction at engineering projects at crew ng mga barko. Galing sila sa ibat ibang dako ng Pilipinas.

Ang mga migranteng manggagawang Pilipino ay nasa higit na 200 bansa at teritoryo sa lahat ng kontinente (Asia, Australia, North America, South America, Africa at Europe). Pinakakonsentrado sila sa United States (3.5 milyon); sa Saudi Arabia (1.8 milyon ); at Canada (639,686). Konsentrado rin sila sa United Arab Emirates, Australia, Qatar, Malaysia, Japan, United Kingdom, Hong Kong at Singapore.

Kapag mabisang masaklaw ninyo ang mga konsentrasyon ng migranteng manggagawa, magkakaroon kayo ng lakas at kasanayan para abutin ang nasa iba pang bansa. Mas madaling maugnayan din ninyo ang mga migranteng manggagawa sa mga barko kung sa mga mayor na daungan makakapagtayo kayo ng mga pwesto na kombinasyon ng opisina, tindahan at tambayan. Mainam din kung sa Pilipinas may organisasyon ng mga pamilya ng mga migranteng manggagawa at kung may lugar ugnayan o tambayan na pinupuntahan ng mga migrante bago umalis o sa pagbalik.

Mataas ang pagtingin namin sa Migrante International at itinuturing naming isa ito sa mga mayor na kasaping-organisasyon ng ILPS. Malaki ang utang na loob ng ILPS sa Migrante International sa tulong nito na maging global ang saklaw ng ILPS at sa pagpaparami ng manggagawa sa batayan ng ILPS . Mapagpasya rin ang inyong organisasyon sa komisyon ng ILPS na may kinalaman sa mga migranteng manggagawa ng ibat ibang di-maunlad na bansa at sa pagbubuo ng International Assembly of Migrants and Refugees.

Mabuhay ang Migrante International!

Mabuhay ang mgamigranteng manggagawa!

Mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!

16 December 2014
We condemn EU’s anti-migrant ” Mos Maiorum ” – ILPS

ILPS-Phils Statement
23 October 2014

The ILPS-Philippines joins migrant Filipinos in condemning before the European Union Office in the Philippines the on-going police operations launched by 26 European countries to detect, detain and deport what they brand as “irregular migrants”.

This herding cracked by the whip of the incumbent Italian presidency of the Council of the EU is particularly vile. It coined the operations as “Mos Maiorum” (ancestral custom, way of the elders or social mores of ancient Rome). It harks back to Imperial Rome whose “legal citizens” are only those ruling inside the city walls and living by the sweat of slaves. All others are “barbarians” and deserve to be expelled or conquered by the sword, this time by the Carabinieri and 20,000 troops.

The current immigration problem in Europe comes not from discrimination alone but from the crisis itself of modern imperialism. The most recent influx of European immigrants came from the implosion of the Soviet Union and the Balkanization of Eastern Europe. The current surge of immigrants into Europe, and more particularly Italy, comes mainly from the conflict areas such as Syria and Eritrea – countries whose peoples have fallen prey to imperialist wars of intervention and aggression.

Migrants are not questions of security and criminality. They are a consequence of wars and conflicts, especially in the Middle East and Africa. They grow with the inequalities and underdevelopment under imperialist rule from Latin America to Asia.

According to the United Nations, there are 51 million refugees. In 2013 alone, there were 17 million people fleeing. “Fortress Europe” has not stemmed this stream of human beings even with costly walls.

About two billion Euros were invested in the buffer zone around EU. Frontex received in 2013 as much as 85 million Euros. Europe launched Eurosur, in charge of the European border control, which will receive during the next six years approximately 250 million Euros.

According to research, the amount of cameras and kilometers of fences on the European borders is an over-kill. Tens of thousands of border patrols were hired to be based at the borders, from Bulgaria to Spain. In countries as the UK, Hungary and Austria, refugees are locked up in jails. In Greece, Malta, Poland and Bulgaria, even non-accompanied minor asylum-seekers are locked up.

To solve the “illegal” migrant problem with detect-detain-deport solutions will only repeat and compound the problem. The migrant problem, from outside Europe, and from within Europe itself, must be approached with full respect for refugee and migrants rights.

When Jean-Claude Juncker won the backing of the European Parliament to become the new head of the EU Commission, he promised a complete restructuring of the financial supervision by the “Troika” – the EU, the International Monetary Fund, and the European Central Bank. This is a step in the right direction. However, this should not be for their own “democracy” but for more democracy by the direct actions of migrants and the peoples of host nations in Europe.

23 October 2014
Stop the criminalization of undocumented migrants! Stop the “Mos Maiorum!” No to creeping fascization in Europe!

We, the undersigned organizations, view with grave concern the plan of the Council of the European Union to launch a Joint Police Operation called Operation “Mos Maiorum” in the EU countries, from October 13-26, 2014.

We are concerned that in the guise of going after organized crime syndicates involved in the traffic of drugs and humans, the operation is used to indiscriminately round up irregular migrants who are merely doing socially necessary work that benefit the countries in Europe.   Their irregular status is not of their own fault but the result of erroneous policies stemming from xenophobia and narrow nationalism instigated by extreme right-wing and neo-fascist political parties. Instead of deporting them and treating them as criminals, their irregular status should in fact be immediately rectified because it makes them vulnerable to abuse.

Since 9/11, a climate of fear and intolerance has been created oftentimes encouraged by governments to justify the enactment of draconian laws and measures and make them acceptable to their citizens.   The EU Return Directive is one such measure that rides on this climate of fear and intolerance, treats irregular migrants as criminals and leads to the setting up of fortress Europe.

This EU Return Directive has set a dangerous tone that has given rise to a myriad of stringent measures resorted to by EU states that run counter to the letter and spirit of universally recognized conventions on human rights and fundamental freedoms.

We, organizations of migrants and advocates for migrants rights, see a dangerous trend of the EU countries turning into police states brandishing absolute powers to search, question, secure personal details, arrest, detain and deport persons without due process.

There are enough effective means available to the states and their agencies to fight against criminal syndicates. Governments must resort to those means that effectively zero in on the target and catches the real criminals. They should not resort to shotgun methods that victimize innocent people. The planned Joint Police Operation “Mos Maiorum” is one such shotgun method.

We remind governments to abide by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, among others.

We call on all concerned citizens, individuals, organizations and institutions to join hands in opposing this measure and for calling for an immediate stop to this dangerous police action against migrants. We call on progressive politicians and political parties to throw their weight behind our call. We call on human rights groups, migrant advocates, anti-racist and anti-fascist organizations to oppose this Operation “Mos Maiorum” and defend the rights of migrants against oppressive laws and measures!

1 October 2014

Signatories:

(International)
*THE REVEREND CANON BARRY NAYLOR
Urban Canon and Parish Priest
Chaplain to Trinity Hospital
Chairperson, Global Council -International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP)
Honorary Chairperson of the Campaign for Human Rights in the Philippines – United Kingdom (CHRP-UK)

(Europewide)
*International Migrants Alliance-Europe Chapter
*MIGRANTE Europe

(Asia-Pacific)
*Asia-Pacific Mission for Migrants-Hong Kong

(The Netherlands)
*Filipino Refugees in the Netherlands
*Migrante-Netherlands (Amsterdam)
*Migrante-Netherlands (Den Haag)
*SAMAKA
*Pinay sa Holland
*Stichting LINANGAN (Cultural Network)
*Filipino Parish Netherlands

(United Kingdom)
*SHEILA TILAN
Chair,    Kanlungan Filipino Consortium-United Kingdom
*PHOEBE DIMACALI
Chair, Filipino Domestic Workers Association-United Kingdom

(Italy)
*LUZ MIRIAM JARAMILLO
Comitato Immigrati In Italia C.I.I.
Chair, International Migrants Alliance-Europe
Member, International Coordinating Body-IMA
*Umangat-Migrante Rome
*ICHRP-Rome
*Sri Lankan Front for Liberation
*Belarmino Saguing
*Makabayang Atas ng Supremo Andress Bonifacio (MASA) – Rome
*Dr. Carlos Tobar, PRESIDENTE ASO. MISIL
*Martin Carruba, Movimento Democratico per un Mondo Senza Confini

(Belgium)
*Ugnayan ng mga Pilipino sa Belgium

(Denmark)
*Migrante-Denmark
*Radio Pinoy 95.5 Fm./95.2 Hybrid Net,Copenhagen,Denmark

(Philippines)
*Migrante International
*MIGRANTE Party List-Philippines

(Austria)
MIGRANTE-Austria

(Greece)
*Greek Forum of Migrants

14 October 2014
Message of Solidarity to the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany on its 20th anniversary

1 October 2014

The International Migrants’ Alliance (IMA) – Europe, sends its most militant greetings and solidarity with our comrades in struggle in the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany, as they celebrate their 20 years of tirelessly fighting for the rights of refugees in Germany and against racism, discrimination, human rights violations, fascism and corporate totalitarianism.

The events and activities around the anniversary theme “Unite against Deportation and against Social Exclusion in Germany” are a continuing testimony to the organization’s steel determination, humanitarian vision, deep respect for human dignity and appreciation for the political empowerment of the exploited and oppressed.

It has been an absolute privilege for the IMA-Europe to have worked with and cooperated with the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany. That solidarity has provided the IMA-Europe with a deeper grasp and appreciation of the bigger social, economic and political realities engulfing the lives of the so-called uprooted people – the basic reality not only of struggling for migrant rights in countries of the diaspora, but also and more importantly, the struggle for genuine freedom, democracy, social justice, development and peace in the migrants’ home countries.

The Voice Refugee Forum of Germany provided the IMA-Europe the opportunity to touch base with the human beings forced out of their homes and countries because of political reasons, which under present conditions are driven by aggression instigated by advanced capitalist and racist coutries of the west in their selfish lust to exploit and plunder the people and resources of the planet.

The plight of the refugees, has clearly delineated and spelled out to those in the thick of the struggle for migrant rights, the parallelisms in the global migration and the very same endresults that both refugees and migrants find themselves in – violations of their human rights, the same poverty and misery, exploitation and oppression in places where they have been forced to seek refuge and to migrate. And yet, bourgeois-defined international laws do not reflect reality on the ground by making cruel distinctions between refugees and migrants, and treat them according to those definitions.

Indeed, the unity that binds together the refugees represented by the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany and the migrants represented by the International Migrants Alliance, is the struggle for comprehensive social change, an end to racism and discrimination, and building a world without exploitation and oppression.

That solidarity will be further fleshed out as we persevere and stand firmly determined in our resistance struggles and in forging ahead in strengthening the international progressive movement of migrants and refugees. As part of the progressive movement of migrants and refugees, it is both a challenge and a task for all of us to forge a higher unity and solidarity as we confront political persecution, economic exploitation, social exclusion, and opppression.

Together, we shall be able to strengthen our solidarity, forge ahead, gain greater victories in our struggles, and achieve a world we all dream of – a world abounding with genuine equality, social justice, economic bounty, and lasting peace!

Long live the Voice Refugee Forum of Germany on its 20 years of struggle and resistance!
Long live international solidarity!
Long live the progressive movement of Migrants and Refugees!

Luz Miriam Jaramillo
Comitato-Italy
Chair, International Migrants Alliance-Europe chapter
IMA-International Coordinating Body member

Grace Punongbayan
Migrante Europe
Secretary-General, IMA-Europe chapter
IMA-International Coordinating Body member

dlm/30092014

1 October 2014