Transcript “Migration in the context of globalisation: Women’s Human Rights at risk?” RESPECT is a transnational European network of migrant domestic workers’ organisation and.

“Migration in the context of globalisation:
Women’s Human Rights at risk?”
RESPECT is a transnational European network
of migrant domestic workers’ organisation and supporters
which campaign for the rights of all Migrant Domestic
Workers in private households, both women and men,
regardless of immigration status.
RESPECT has emerged in 1998 in direct response
to the situation of MDWs in Europe:
• In Europe Migrants employed in private
households without any human rights.
• European immigration legislation does not
recognise domestic work as a category for
immigration.
• MDWs enter the EU with legal documents, --the prevailing immigration legislation many are
forced to become undocumented.
Response - theme “Migration in the
context of globalisation: Women’s Human
Rights at risk?”
• Globalisation: Global Europe’s FTAs (Free
Trade Agreements) & Women’s Labour
Migration
• Fortress Europe and MDW Rights
• RESPECT’s Campaign Perspectives – Making
Links
Globalisation: Global Europe’s FTAs (Free Trade
Agreements) & Women’s Labour Migration
• Devastation in the Global South – by this model of neoliberal
economic policy.
• WTO, WB and IMF - left our countries in deep unsustainable
debt, our livelihoods destroyed and our communities deeply
impoverished.
• FTAs bring the threat of further depletion of our natural
resources, devastation of the environment, erosion of food
sovereignty and deeper poverty.
• Europe – increased outsourcing of work, precarious conditions
of work –
• An overall consequence of these economic and trade and
investment policy is out-migration,
• Main sources of employment open to migrant women - work in
the private household as MDWs and other forms of care work,
and sex work
Fortress Europe and MDW Rights
• sustained and deeper criminalisation of migrants
• 9/11 - issue of migration and asylum has been drawn into the
debate and policy making on “security”.
• witnessed the passage of the EU ‘Return’ Directive and the passage
of the EU’s latest Migration and Asylum Pact.
• Among its notorious features - adoption of a “selective
discriminatory immigration” policy, - use of the carrot of
development aid to condition and entice Southern governments to
implement EU’s migration policies and become part of the EU’s
border control via FRONTEX and other forms of militarisation of
borders.
• Fortress Europe - the rights of migrants are under daily threat, and
in the area of migrants engaged in work in the domestic sector,
European governments have placed this work outside the provision
of work permits and other forms of documented immigration status.
EU immigration policy, we can characterise the violation of
the rights of MDWs as a structural violation of their
human rights:
• Domestic work as work is not recognised
as a proper work
• Domestic work is not covered
by legal enforceable labour protection
• Domestic work is not accepted
as a category for immigration even
though significant numbers of
domestic workers are migrants.
Furthermore - exclusion of Domestic Work from the coverage
of labour laws and social laws results in many MDWs in
receiving countries being forced to become undocumented.
They are working with no human rights.
In the course of our work, MDWs identified
the following specific demands as a
solution for their situation as MDWs:
• To recognise work as Domestic Workers in
the private household as proper work
• To ensure the protection of the rights of
MDWs as workers
• To put in place an immigration status
related to their work as migrant domestic
workers
In the RESPECT Network, MDWs have developed a variety of
effective empowerment & campaign strategies as main actors in
the campaign for their rights as women, workers and migrants
• Migrant Empowerment thru Self-organisation
& education
• Capacity building – Forum Theatre –
as key actors of their own campaign
• Response strategies need to be
constantly adjusted to the circumstances,
realities and perspective of MDWs.
• Conscious & serious consideration - Gender- aspects in our
strategies - working with migrant women workers
• Micro Credit Cooperative (KOOP NATIN)
• Drop In Centre – allow self organisation –discuss their
issues, share experiences, shelter, work, etc.
• Re-integration program - links with reliable partners in the
country of origin e.g. (UNLAD KABAYAN) Migrant Savings
Alternatives and Investment (MSAI)- social
entrepreneurship
• Developing links & Networking
• National – RESPECT NL, MDW self organisations, expert & NGO’s,
migrant church groups, trade unions, human rights networks,
women groups, migrant organisations, academes, etc
• Europewide – RESPECT Network, WIDE, EWL, EU Network of
Migrant Women
• Internationally – 2008 set up- International Working Group – DW
Rights – 3rd Int’l conference on DW - , links and working relations in
Asia e.g MFA, AMC, Americas, Europe – IDWN, ITUC
• Transnational advocacy, lobby & campaign
• Policy makers (national & EU) particular in area of gender,
immigration and labour
• UN & ILO instruments, ILO Domestic Convention
• Documentation, research & publication
•
Conduct ongoing analysis of economic and political trends impacting on
migration and development, particularly the implications of the EC Global
Europe strategy
•
Pay particular attention to the trends of Immigration policy in the EU –
the implementation of the EU ‘Return’ Directive and other Immigration policies
and the impact in particular on women migrants and their children.
•
Conduct Participatory Research on the working and living conditions of
Migrant Domestic Workers in Europe.
Gains in our campaign- Best practice
•
In 1997 and 1998 Kalayaan of the UK and KASAPI of Greece were at
the forefront of the regularisation of MDWs in each country. But with
legislative changes, these organisations still encounter problems and abuses
against MDWs. Recently Migrant Alliance in Greece was granted on their
demand that the children of undocumented parents will be given a
citizenship by the new government- majority of them are children are
MDWs.
•
In the Netherlands, In 2005 CFMW and RESPECT NL facilitated a
participatory research with 123 MDWs of various nationalities, established a
common profile of MDWs in the Netherlands. In the same year, with several
dialogues and negotiations, FNV Trade Union accepted MDWs as members
of the union.
•
In Ireland, In September 2009 – Through “Bridging Visa,” campaign of
MRCI & DWAG - Migrant domestic workers from outside of the EU EEA
working and living in Ireland who rely work permit who become
undocumented through workplace exploitation, deception, or unexpected
redundancy, were permitted to apply to re-enter the work permit system by
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern, TD,.
• Embassies and the diplomatic sector raise concerns as MDWs who
are working in EU states and cannot access their right to redress due
to diplomatic immunity. Migrants Rights Centre Ireland – DWAG and
GFPC of Geneva has identified a number of cases involving diplomats
and gross violations of workers’ rights.
• Geneva, Switzerland: GFPC and other migrant organisations in
collaboration with the Trade Union SIT succeeded in developing an
innovative framework in protecting the rights of Domestic Workers –
documented and undocumented. i.e. access to health insurance and
other social security benefits, legal protection while takes case of their
labour rights.
RESPECT’s Campaign Perspectives –Making the Links:
•
Jointly engage our EU governments, Parliaments and policy makers
on the incoherence of current EU Trade and Development policy and on the
impacts of such trade and investment policy on the economies and
development potentials of the South and the relationship of this to out
migration.
•
Campaigns to roll back and stop the EU “Return” Directive, which is
essentially deepening the criminalisation of migrants as well as ongoing
campaigns challenging racism and islamaphobia.
•
Migrant political Calendar : December 18 – International Migrant’s Day
& International Women’s Day on March 8th -
•
Pro-active in outreaching to migrant networks on the on-going
campaigns on the EU-Free Trade Agreements with the South – e.g with Latin
America, Asia and Africa.
•
WIDE and its partners to join with us in the current campaign for a strong
human rights base ILO Convention on Domestic Work.
- Thank you -