APMM Statement for International Migrants Day 2021

Strengthen the grassroots movement to confront the pandemic and realize change for migrants

On the occasion of the International Migrants Day 2021, the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) is inspired by the courage, will and persistence of migrants and advocates to uphold the rights and dignity of migrants, provide assistance to those in crisis condition, and continuously build the collective strength of the grassroots migrants movement.

Despite the myriad of additional restrictions - resulting from policies surrounding COVID19 - imposed upon the already existing border controls, the increasing trend of labor migration across the Asia-Pacific region continues. 

Labor markets of sending countries are even more constricted, as economies of sending countries who were already in fragile states were struck harder by the economic crunch. Workers face very limited jobs prospects; rural people are gravely impoverished; people have limited or no social protection that can support them during economic shocks; and prices of basic goods are ever-increasing. Climate change is an increasing challenge as sudden and slow onset disasters result to economic and land displacements.

Meanwhile, the need for migrant labor remains high in host countries. The tightening labor market in host countries, partly due to the massive job losses after multiple workplaces closure (Henning & Tacon, 2020), still demand migrant workers, as labor intensive sectors like construction and agriculture require influx of low-skilled migrant workers from sending countries to fill-up the workforce.

But for migrants and families forced to leave for better opportunities, moving from the local labor market to a foreign labor market requires resources which migrants barely have. Many of them are forced to borrow from banks or loan sharks placing them in even more economic instability. Their vulnerability is also exploited by criminal gangs who operate human trafficking operations, spurious debt rings and various scams to deceive migrants and extract the last centavo from them.

These issues are not new but are further aggravated by the COVID19 pandemic. However, governments choose a recovery path that uses the same neoliberal policies that have placed us here in the first place. Putting corporate interests over the migrant and people cannot salvage us from the muck we are in. In fact, the COVID19 pandemic has become a better opportunity for the top billionaires to make even more profit off of the back of the suffering of millions of workers and farmers. Oxfam this year mentioned in their inequality report that “the world’s ten richest men have seen their combined wealth increase by half a trillion dollars since the pandemic began.”

The United Nations developed the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) to address present and emerging challenges in global migration. Three years after its adoption, information on the GCM still remains within a limited circle of lobbyists and high-profile civil society organizations, while grassroots migrants, who will be directly impacted by the discussions, are largely left out. At the same time, they have limited access to process due to mobility restrictions and despite the proliferation of online meetings, the information gap on the GCM remains wide for the grassroot groups.

With the old and the new issues we are facing, the need for us to stand shoulder-to-shoulder is more imperative. The lockdowns and travel restrictions we have experienced for two years must be faced with more organizing among the ranks of the grassroots. We must work together with other groups and sectors to amplify voices which are muted by isolation and discrimination. We must explore all areas of work: from increasing the membership of migrant organizations, increasing their capacity through education and developing new leaders among the grassroots, to working with friends and allies to engage policymakers in the national, regional and global platforms, as well as mobilizing our ranks to promote accountability and justice.

More than ever, and as proven by the past two years and even way before the pandemic, a strong movement of migrants and advocates is key to confront immediate problems of migrants and families and to work towards the longer-term goals for change.

As we face the continuing impacts of the pandemic, the determined, inventive, and decisive movement of migrants and advocates can hurdle the challenges faced due to the pandemic. 

We must persevere for only together can the grassroots migrant movement overcome the impacts of the pandemic, address the issues of migrants, end exploitation and slavery of migrants, and resolve forced migration and migrant’s vulnerabilities.