[ARTICLE] MIGRANTS FIGHT BACK!
Translation: Bahasa | Español | Français
Summary Article on the International Migrants Alliance (IMA) May Day Webinar
Webinar on The State of Migrant Workers Struggle vs. Imperialist Exploitation and War
18 May 2025
The International Migrants Alliance (IMA) marked this year’s International Labor Day by co-organizing with IMA USA two webinar sessions, enabling members from across the globe to actively take part in the commemoration. The webinars were held on May 10 at 9:00 PM and May 11, 2025, at 9:00 AM, both in Hong Kong time, to accommodate different time zones. Representatives from Canada, the US, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific shared updates on the conditions of migrants in their regions, the struggles they face, and the ongoing campaigns they are leading. These voices amplified the realities of migrants from their respective areas. There were more than 80 participants attending webinars sessions 1 and 2. The participants, consisting of both members and non-members of IMA, actively asked questions and shared their views regarding the presentations from the speakers. The questions and statements from the participants, along with the responses given by the speakers, emphasized that amidst the ongoing political, economic, and war crises supported by imperialists, migrants continue to fight and do not cease to struggle for fair and equal rights.
In two sessions of the webinar, Antonio Arizaga and Terry Valen of IMA US spoke on the worsening situation of migrants in the United States under Trump-era policies. Antonio emphasized how these policies led to mass deportations, widespread detentions, and heightened state repression. Terry highlighted the impact of anti-migrant propaganda, which falsely blames migrants for the country’s crises, and detailed the massive delays and cancellations of asylum and refugee applications affecting over 900,000 people. Migrants continue to face exploitation through wage theft, unpaid labor, and unjust firings, while local communities also suffer from budget cuts to essential services like education and healthcare. As fascist and right-wing forces rise, marginalized groups such as LGBTQ individuals and women are scapegoated. In response, the migrant community is calling for an end to deportations, resistance to fascism, an end to U.S. foreign interventions, and the protection of migrants' and communities' rights to a dignified life
In their respective sessions, Canadian speakers Viviana Medina and Sabrina Qistina highlighted the growing marginalization and discrimination faced by migrant workers and international students in Canada. Job losses among migrants are increasing due to unfavorable regulations, while migrant workers are scapegoated for the housing crisis and international students are blamed for job competition. Between 500,000 and 1.7 million undocumented workers remain neglected, often pushed into undocumented status by so-called “protective” policies. This leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and harsh working conditions. Sabrina emphasized that Canada, like the U.S., plays a dual role in the global refugee crisis—both causing and benefiting from it—while also supplying arms to Israel during its genocidal assault on Gaza. Despite these oppressive conditions, migrants continue to resist through organizing, solidarity, and collective action. Their key demands include regularization, protection of migrant and refugee rights, and an end to crackdowns, arrests, and deportations.
Manuel Hidalgo and Lina Cahuasqui of MIREDES International, shed light on the economic and political conditions driving migration from Latin America. Widespread unemployment and instability force many to migrate, regardless of their qualifications, only to face exploitation as cheap labor in dangerous and insecure jobs. Despite their significant contributions to host country economies, migrant workers face discrimination and lack essential support and rights. Host governments benefit from their labor but refuse to recognize or uphold their basic entitlements. In response, migrant organizations across Latin America have united around a core demand: full regularization for all undocumented migrants. These organizations also strengthen alliances with labor unions and grassroots movements in host countries to push for justice and rights for migrant communities.
Edgar Galliano of IMA Europe emphasized that migration in the European Union is complex and cannot be viewed through a single lens. Since the 1980s, labor shortages caused by aging populations have driven European countries to bring in migrants, with patterns shaped by historical and political factors. Former colonial powers tend to receive migrants from their former colonies, while non-colonial countries like Germany and Italy rely on bilateral agreements or religious networks to recruit migrant labor. Migrants to Europe include not only workers but also refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom are denied legal status and ordered to leave. Galliano also highlighted the growing threat of right-wing, anti-migrant governments across Europe. A particularly alarming trend is the recruitment of young migrants into European militaries with the promise of citizenship, amid rising fears and preparations for a potential third world war. Citizens are being advised to prepare for conflict by gathering essential documents and learning alternative communication methods like radio use.
Aileen Miranda of Migrante Middle East reported that approximately 29 million migrants and refugees currently reside in the Middle East, with the UAE having the highest ratio of international migrants to locals. The main issue remains the Kafala system, which ties workers to their employers. Despite government claims of reform, many migrants still require employer approval to change jobs, and passport confiscation is widespread, severely limiting their freedom of movement. Migrant workers frequently face wage theft, contract substitution, and unsafe working conditions, with little to no accountability from employers or labor agents. The situation is worsened by regional economic instability and ongoing conflicts, which heighten migrants’ vulnerability to exploitation. Migrants continue to suffer from unequal pay, lack of protection, and restrictions on organizing or voicing grievances. Despite these hardships, migrant workers persist in challenging the roots of forced migration and advocating for rights-based, people-centered alternatives to the prevailing exploitative systems.
Lastly, Joanna Concepcion, the chairperson of Migrante International, emphasized the deepening economic crisis in Asia, where over 66% of workers are trapped in informal, low-paid, and unsafe jobs with little to no social protection. This drives many to seek work abroad in hopes of earning a livable income, as rising prices and living costs make survival in their home countries increasingly difficult. While governments promote regular migration pathways as safer, Joanna stressed that both regular and irregular migrants face similar exploitation abroad—unpaid wages, contract discrepancies, wage deductions, abuse, forced labor, and violence. Migrant workers advocating for their rights are often ignored or pressured. In response, grassroots migrant organizations are uniting to fight collectively for justice. They demand long-term, structural solutions that address the root causes of forced migration, push for genuine national and economic development, uphold people’s rights, and end the commodification of migrants.
