Report on the WSCF-AP Human Rights and Solidarity
Workshop 1999
Students
and Migrant Workers in
The WSCF-AP and its member Student Christian
Movements(SCMs) have been undertaking concrete steps to deepen our concern and
enhance the realization of the ongoing advocacy, study process, and struggles
concerning the plight of the Migrant workers.
Last year, the Human Rights and Solidarity Work of
the WSCF focused on the issues of the Migrant worker. On June 1998,
a workshop “ Students and Migrant Workers I” was organized in Macao for
receiving countries to specifically facilitate the deeper understanding on this
issue and at the same encourage member movements to develop and undertake more solid actions
for migrant workers.
As a continuing effort of the WSCF-AP to intensify
our respond, a similar workshop was organized
June 27 to July 4 , 1999 ( Students and Migrant Workers in Asia II) in
The objectives of the workshop are as follows:
o
Enable
the participants to articulate the situation of local and migrant workers,
primarily relating to their
rights.
o
Enable
them to identify critical aspects of possible solidarity networking and
participation between the student movements, trade unions, migrant worker organisations,
and support groups.
o
Facilitate
the process of
internship of participants
with interested trade unions,
migrant worker organizations, and support groups.
o
Facilitate
the exchange of information and experiences of the different movements.
The Bible study provided by Rev. Daniel Peter, former
Regional Secretary on the otherhand dealt with the theological reflection on
the paradox of the present context, the context of
INPUT SUMMARY
Mr. Rex Varona, the executive director of Asian
Migrant Centre(AMC) provided the participants with an interesting input. The
discussion focused on the dynamics of Asian Migration, some Responses and
Strategies, and general description on the three levels of strategy on labour
migration. It pointed out that visible
causes of migration was due to massive
and widespread poverty, backwardness of society due to uneven development, low
wages, lack of opportunities, increasing
number of reserve labour force which cannot be absorbed by local industries. It
was also pointed out that the migration primarily to third world or sending
countries is very much rooted to the backwardness of these societies and
distorted development as prescribed by the International Monetary Fund and
World Bank (IMF-WB). These were manifested through neoliberal economic policies
and models, Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP) modelled to adopt Globalization
scheme. Corruption, deception and non-democratic practices on one hand worsen
the general situation. Policies of the
government for migration on the other hand and its lack of concern to the
plight the migrant workers causes abuse, discrimination, or even death. These abuses and exploitation created an
issue cycle starting from home country (recruitment, departure) to host country
(arrival, settling in) until it further experience much worst abuses that later
ended up to termination, sickness, forced deportation). These cycle causes
folds of difficulties and problems for the workers.
EXPOSURES
The groups were divided in three teams which visited
a Karen Refugee camp, a factory where more than half of the workers are migrants,
and school and clinic for Burmese migrants in Mae Sot near the Thai Burma
boarder. The refugees are forced to move because of the ethnic conflict in
CASE STUDY, NATIONAL REPORT ON MIGRANT WORKERS’ SITUATION
The
In order to clearly understand further the context of
the sending countries, each participant presented their written reports of
migrant workers situation based on their
respective national context.
Based on this, the sharing highlighted some
commonalties on the conditions and plight of migrating workers. These are as
follows:
o
Most
of the migrant workers will take 3 D jobs (dirty , difficult, and dangerous )
because the salary is much more higher to their country.
o
Their
government has no programs for protection. Even if attention of the government
is given, still it is not enough.
o
Many
Migrant workers ended up returning to their home countries as victims of abuse,
exploitation and industrial accidents or unsafe working conditions
o
Majority
of the undocumented workers receive lower wages compared to local workers
o
Workers
tend to migrate in search for jobs and for better standard of living.
o
Migration
was result of poverty, and lack of opportunities in home country.
RESULT OF THE ACTION PLAN
On the 7th day of the workshop,
participants were divided into two working groups to develop a plan of action,
and both came out with concrete plans. The summary of the two working groups’
action plan were divided in government level, societal level, SCM level and
International level as follows:
GOVERNMENT LEVEL
o
Petition and Demand the governments to :
·
provide
centers for migrants especially women in receiving countries because more women
suffer abuses and rape.
·
abolish
placement fees in sending countries
·
ratify
the UN Convention
·
enact
and implement laws that will protect migrant workers
·
investigate
agencies with unscrupulous practices that tend to exploit workers
o
Protest
against the government for its lack of concern, and demand to not to follow
IMF- WB prescriptions that lead to indebtedness of country and causes
mal-development.
o
Demand
the government to provide stronger and wider support to accused migrant workers
of crime, victims of rape, abuses and human rights violation.
SOCIETAL LEVEL
o
Create
awareness among the people through dissemination of newsletters, statements,
cultural street plays etc.
o
Organize
the family member of migrants and
encourage them to join organisation of “ families of Migrant workers” so that they can take part in campaign they
can generate support pressures to embassy of host country their relatives are
working
o
Get
them involve in the church organization or at migrant workers centers or NGO’s.
o
Educate
the people, through forum, symposium film showing etc. or invite a migrant
worker to share their difficult experiences.
CHURCH LEVEL
o
Organize
the church activities related to migrant workers
o
Set
up migrant desk that will assist the abused migrant workers financial, legal
assistance and shelter
o
Collect
contribution to church members (money and clothing) to be given especially to
families of killed migrants, or to victims of industrial accidents, and abuses.
o
Post
some announcements and updates on migrant situations.
SCM LEVEL
o
Release
a publication or write articles on National movement’s publication or to newspapers.
o
Organize
or participate to campaigns to university to fund-raise
o
organise
different activities such as forum, signature campaigns
o
Encourage
students in small group discussions in universities and encourage students and
SCM members to integrate or have
exposures to migrant centers or any places there is migrant workers and discuss
with them
o
Facilitate
legal assistance for free to be provided
by Senior friend who are lawyers
o
Encourage
volunteer work to migrant centers
o
Organize
similar workshop to the National level in respective countries.
o
Work
with other NGO, support groups, student organizatios, workers organizations in
providing services.
INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
o
Make
statements and sent to ILO, UN, and Government.
o
Work
on the possibility of sending SCM from sending countries to go to receiving
countries as intern or assist in organizing migrant workers.
o
Have
two movements discuss (sending and receiving country) about how they can work
together.
o
Regularly
send updates to Regional office and to HR Solidarity coordinator so we can
collect these data and have it published by the regional office.
o
Organize
on December a “Migrant Workers Week” in line with the Human Rights Day
commemoration. The regional office will send some materials that national movement
s can use.