The harsh deportation of Michel Catuira from South Korea last Labor Day is a brazenly repressive act by its government, and shamelessly violates all norms of human rights and social justice as applied to migrants and workers. This shows to what extent the government in Seoul is willing to go to stifle democratic rights in the country, including trampling on its own laws and universally-recognized statutes on human rights.
Last May 1, Catuira arrived at the Incheon International Airport after visiting relatives in the Philippines. Upon presentation of his G1 visa that entitles him to reentry in South Korea while his case is being heard by the local courts, he was told that his previous blacklisted status had not been rescinded, despite getting a later favorable decision from the courts. No amount of self-pleading and of intervention from his lawyer were able to sway the immigration officers, who virtually manhandled him into taking a flight back to Manila that very same day.
Further strengthen the movement to counter the GFMD!
Continue to resist commodification of labor and modern-day slavery!
International Migrants Alliance (IMA)
01 December 2011
Since its inception up to its current fifth run, the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) has never professed genuine concern for migrant workers and their families.
In fact, it has only been faithful to its neoliberal design of using migration as a tool to perpetuate the domination of the world’s superpowers – chiefly the United States – and sustain the unjust world order through the continued commodification of migrant labor and the modern-day slavery of migrant workers.
This year’s theme, “Taking Action on Migration and Development – Coherence, Capacity and Cooperation”, is about as vague as it is grandiose.
The Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in its 5th year stands at the crossroads of its existence as a “platform for dialogue and cooperation on international migration and development”. It must bridge the gap between its self-perception and what the most important stakeholders in the process – the migrant workers – see it to be. It must also respond to the fundamental question of its relevance to the whole migration dynamic.
Women marriage migrants unite with women in all sectors around the globe in commemorating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November this year.
Violence against women emanates from the country of origin that perpetuates poverty resulting in marriage migration.
We, the migrant domestic workers groups, NGOs and regional networks, present our recommendations to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) on the rights of all women foreign domestic workers, documented and undocumented.
Firstly, we would like to express our appreciation for the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers. However, we are concerned that large numbers of migrants are currently excluded from its protection and therefore strongly urge the inclusion of undocumented migrants and families of all migrants.
