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INTERNATIONAL migrant workers have urged governments
participating in the Global Forum on Migration and
Development (GFMD) in Manila to tackle more pressing
issues facing their workers abroad, including
deportation of hundreds of undocumented migrant workers,
detention, and various forms of rights abuses.
More
than 1,000 leaders of trade unions and civil-society
organizations will gather for the People’s Global Action
on Migration, Development and Human Rights in Manila
from October 22 to 30 as a parallel meeting for the GMFD
to be led by the Philippines from October 27 to 30.
Colin
Rajah, head of the National Network for Immigrant and
Refugee Rights, said leaders participating in the GMFD
will not tackle issues more urgent to the migrant
workers and their families such as human rights and the
protection of undocumented workers.
Statistics from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas
showed there are around 112,000 undocumented Filipino
workers in Europe and double the number in Malaysia,
particularly in the disputed Sabah. Many are also in
Middle East countries.
Among
the activities for the parallel event to come out of the
meeting are workshops, panel discussions, mobilizations,
exhibits, and cultural performances.
The
second GMFD is being hosted by the Philippines following
Belgium’s hosting of the first meeting held last year in
Brussels. The forum of leaders from some 190 countries
will be led by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
The
Philippine Working Group on GFMD is a coalition of
civil-society organizations in the Philippines. Leaders
of the group had a preconference meeting with migrants’
organizations and advocates, trade unions, faith
based-organizations and women groups from Asia, Europe,
Africa, America and Latin America at the International
Labor Organization Office in Makati.
Many
civil-society groups particularly in West Africa are
having difficulty in participating, according to Mamadou
Goita, of Institut de Recherche et de Promotion des
Alternatives en Developpment.
“The
filling out of the form in itself is already difficult,”
said Goita. “Translation is frustrating and [any]
opportunity for West Africa to be participating on a
global level is almost impossible because there are not
enough facilities to fulfill all requirements.”
He said
instead of boycotting the official GMFD forum, the group
has adopted an approach that will continue engagement
from both inside and outside the GFMD. |
