Manifesto to uphold the rights of migrants, refugees and rights defenders amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
We – organizations of migrants, refugees, immigrants, displaced peoples and advocates from around the world – express our call to uphold our rights amidst the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the lives, livelihoods and rights of the people, and putting everyone at risk.
Even before COVID-19 hit crisis proportion, migrants, refugees, immigrants and other displaced peoples are already confronted by exploitative and oppressive situation brought about by forced migration, modern-day slavery and the treatment of migrants as commodities. Neoliberal policies in host and origin countries have resulted to job insecurity of many, low wage, exclusion from social protection, and the perpetual unemployment and absence of social services in countries of origin that force many to leave home.
COVID-19 has heightened the vulnerabilities that we face. Every day, foreign workers in the frontline and those in other essential services continuously brave the risk of infection, and many have succumbed to the disease. Hundreds of thousands of foreign workers have lost or are projected to lose employment as the COVID-19 crisis aggravates the global socio-economic crisis. Others have seen their incomes eroded and they now struggle to survive in the country where they live while their families in the country of origin also
face difficulties.
With the pandemic, we see the following plaguing our communities:
Widespread exclusion on services, protection and relief programs
Temporary migrants, refugees and other vulnerable sections of foreign nationals are often overlooked in services, protection and relief programs. They are made to find their own means to survive the disruptions in work and life including many who were left “stranded” as lockdowns and border closures were imposed
without the needed support in place to weather the impacts of restrictions in mobility. Jobs and livelihoods were also affected especially those who are in a no-work, no-pay situation.Xenophobia and scapegoating of migrants
Xenophobic attacks and prejudices have heightened during the pandemic. Unfair perceptions of migrants and refugees as virus carriers have resulted to refusal of entry, restrictions in days off, and even physical attacks. Migrants, refugees and the displaced have again been made as scapegoats for the shortcomings in medical services, relief and availability of resources despite the fact that, even before the COVID-19, neoliberal policies on health, social services and jobs have already eroded much of public services, privatized health care, and implemented vicious flexible labor arrangements that have increased the insecurity of workers.
Attacks to the comprehensive rights of migrants and defenders of migrant’s and refugee’s rights
The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has put our comprehensive rights in an even more precarious situation. From our rights as workers to the clampdown on political and civil rights masked as crisis response, rights violations happen including crackdowns, arrests and detention that put us more at risk to COVID-19
infection. Tracking and monitoring technologies are now employed that pose more risks to those with undocumented status as governments maintain the framework of migration as a security concern and not as a matter if human rights. Even advocates and supporters of migrants and refugees face repressive measures and actions.
In the face of these, we call for governments to:
1. Ensure the inclusion of migrants, immigrants, refugees and displaced peoples in mass testing, free medical care, and economic, food and other forms of relief. Bailouts should directly benefit workers including foreign nationals. Aid should be given to families of those deceased due to COVID-19.
4. Stop the arrest, detention and deportation of undocumented migrants and implement general amnesty and regularization of migrants without conditions to enable access to services, protection and aid. Release detained migrants especially the elderly, sick and those at risk to infection. Demilitarize borders and allow entry of those stranded due to border closure. Stop the expulsion of refugees.
3. Provide comprehensive assistance for stranded migrants including food, shelter and safe passage to their destination country or country of origin. Provide significant livelihood assistance to those forcibly repatriated.
4. Protect migrants and refugees from xenophobic attacks. End the hostility to migrants and stop scapegoating of migrants and refugees for the crisis and the spread of the virus.
5. Uphold commitments to the rights of migrant workers and families enshrined in various human rights instruments of the UN, labor rights under ILO conventions, and the rights of migrants and refugees under the Global Compact for Migration and Global Compact for Refugees. Stop the weaponization of COVID-19 response that attacks the human rights of migrants, refugees and rights defenders.
These we pledge to fight for as we continue to resist neoliberal impositions that gravely impact workers and people, and struggle for genuine system change that addresses forced migration, modern-day slavery and commodification of migrants.