MIGRANTE Europe is part of MIGRANTE International– the international alliance of Filipino migrant organizations. MIGRANTE was founded in the Philippines in 1992 covering Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. At the international consultation attended by delegates of Filipino migrant organizations held December 1994 in Cavite, Philippines, it was expanded to include other global regions like Europe, Canada and the United States. MIGRANTE International represents the patriotic movement of migrant Filipinos.
In Western Europe, there are now, based on unofficial estimates more than 500,000 Filipino migrants. More than half is women. They are concentrated in big cities like Rome in Italy, Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, London in Great Britain, Athens in Greece, Hamburg in Germany, Antwerp in Belgium and Paris in France. Majority of them works as domestic workers, while others are nurses, factory workers, offshore workers, au pairs, and entertainers or employed in other branches of the service sector. Some have become residents in various European countries and a few are professionals.
MIGRANTE Europe works for the basic interests of migrant Filipinos in Europe. It defends, protects and promotes the rights and welfare of Filipino migrant workers, in particular, and overseas Filipinos in general.
MIGRANTE Europe served as the campaign center in Europe for the worldwide campaign to seek justice for Flor Contemplacion, a Filipina domestic worker who was unjustly accused and hanged by the Singapore government on March 17, 1995. It also anchored in Europe during the last quarter of 1995 the successful campaign to save the life of Sarah Balabagan, another Filipina domestic worker who was eventually saved from her sentence to die by firing squad in the United Arab Emirates, after defending herself from being raped by her employer.
MIGRANTE Europe derives its inspiration not only from the experiences of outstanding Filipino migrants such as Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar, Carlos Bulosan and Antonio Zumel, but also from the martyrdom of Flor Contemplacion and countless and nameless other present-day Filipino migrants who were abused, exploited and murdered.
MIGRANTE Europe is both an alliance of progressive Filipino organizations and a coordinating center whose European office is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. As an alliance, MIGRANTE Europe is composed of several organizations of Filipinos in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Greece, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.