International Migrants Day 2021: Statement
December 18th, 2021 is International Migrants Day. The UN declared this day as a day to celebrate and commemorate the contributions of millions of migrant workers living and working outside of their home countries.
With the Philippines as one of the top labour export countries in the world, an estimated 10 million Filipinos are working and living overseas. Driven by extreme poverty and lack of decent paying jobs in the Philippines, around 6,000 overseas Filipino workers leave the country everyday. They are hailed as ‘modern-day heroes’ because of their contribution to the country’s economy, but many experience human trafficking, modern-day slavery, abuse and exploitation in their country of destination.
Filipinos make up the second largest East and Southeast Asian ethnicity in the UK, many of whom are working in the healthcare, domiciliary and hospitality industries. In addition to difficult and exploitative working conditions, they also face racist and hostile immigration policies in the UK.
We’re joining thousands of other migrants’ rights, anti-racist, and human rights organisations opposing the UK Government’s violent new bill that threatens the most basic protection of an immigrant to a claim for citizenship. The Nationality and Borders Bill reinforces the hostile environment policy migrants are forced to live under in the UK.
For this government, pushing migrants into destitution, banning some of them from working, or accessing public funds, support services, and healthcare, and punishing those who help them isn’t enough–they want to criminalise migrants even before they arrive in the UK by expanding policing and prisons, cutting people off from services and community support.
In recent years, some politicians and media outlets have tried to make migrants the enemy. But it is austerity, cuts to public funding and services, and willful government neglect that are to be blamed for, the dysfunction in public services, resulting in overstretched staff in health and social care, and reduced council services.
At Kanlungan, we have always organised and mobilised in support of our community members– regardless of their immigration status. Since 1994, we have been fighting for Filipino, East, and Southeast Asian migrants’ right to settle and lead dignified lives in the UK.
We have resisted government policies that sought to curtail our rights and attempted to silence our voice. We will continue fighting in solidarity with other migrant and refugee communities. Government cruelty will always be met by migrant solidarity.
Finally, we send love and courage to all those separated from their loved ones by borders, especially at this time of the year, when many would have wanted to celebrate holidays with their families and friends.
Join us and support the work we do by volunteering and donating to Kanlungan. We’ve just launched our Christmas Appeal to support migrant survivors of domestic abuse and gender-based violence. For more information, check the link in our bio!
Migrante, makibaka! Wag matakot! Join our campaign and fight for our rights!