IMA asserts that grassroots migrants can articulate our issues and demands ourselves, and should be provided spaces to speak for ourselves. As IMA says:
“Nothing about migration without the grassroots migrants.”
The International Migrants Alliance (IMA) is the first-ever global alliance of, for and led by grassroots migrants, refugees and displaced peoples. IMA was established in June 2008 by 108 organizations from 25 countries.
Now, IMA has more than 200 member organizations from more than 33 countries worldwide. Our membership is divided into two;
Regular members — for grassroots, migrant-led, membership-based organizations, and;
Associate members — for organizations and institutions that support the causes of migrants.
The leadership of IMA is defined by a Global Assembly conducted every three years that draws the General Program of Action (GPOA) and elects the International Coordinating Body (ICB) to implement it. The ICB is composed of 15 migrant leaders from across the globe and 2 representatives from the associate members.
As an anti-imperialist alliance, IMA aims to strengthen and put forward the voice of the grassroots migrants, refugees and displaced people on issues affecting them and their families. IMA lays down its analysis from the grassroots migrants’ point of view and challenges the current system and its mechanisms.