APMM Statement for International Migrants Day 2020

To build back better, strengthen the migrants’ movement
Statement of the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants in the International Migrants Day 2020

The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) joins migrants and advocates in the region and around the world in the commemoration of the International Migrants Day.

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic posed serious challenges to the economic, political and social situation of migrants in the region. It revealed and highlighted the unresolved vulnerabilities of migrants due to the fundamental problems of forced migration and the neoliberal design to maintain migration as a cheap source of labor.

To date, in Asia Pacific, more than seven million migrants have been forced to return to their countries of origin to face the insecurity of unemployment amidst the severely lacking health- and service-oriented response to the pandemic. Another two million, meanwhile, still face uncertainty in transit or destination countries as mobility and immigration rules change constantly.

Across the region, migrants are still very much exposed to infection due to their working and living condition – as shown by the situation in Singapore – as well as access to tests and PPEs especially by undocumented migrants. Many migrants in tourism and related service sectors have experienced reduction in income while those in a no work, no pay arrangement find themselves without capacity to sustain their basic needs. Discrimination is rampant and exclusion from economic alleviation schemes is also common.

However, amidst the challenges the pandemic brought, the grassroots movement of migrants and their advocates from various sectors, rose to respond to the crisis and address the invisibility of migrants in government’s COVID-19 response.

Mutual help flourished among migrant communities while service organizations stepped up their response to cope with the rapid rise of migrants in crisis. Social solidarity within the sector was alive as migrants empathize with those most severely affected by the pandemic.

Even more inspiring were the campaigns for rights and wellbeing conducted. Despite limitations presented by restrictions, campaigns and advocacies championed concrete issues and called for immediate and strategic resolution of the problems. Sustained social advocacy promoted migrant concerns and battled discrimination and unjust public image of migrants.

At the core of all these efforts are organized communities of migrants and advocates.

Like the genesis of the International Migrants Day, a strong movement on the ground is important to advance recognition of migrant’s rights and to effect changes in the situation of migrants.

What the pandemic showed is, indeed, the urgency to build back better – better for the migrants, better for the people – that moves away neoliberal designs, including on migration.

As we commemorate the struggles of migrants, we must also grasp its important lesson of continuing to strengthen the migrants’ movement and to unite in solidarity with the people in the common ideals for human rights, justice and development for the people and planet.