IMA Global Secretariat Meet in Hong Kong

Kiarra Caballero (Philippines) and Rut Arsari (Indonesia), the new members of the International Migrants Alliance (IMA) Global Secretariat, visited Hong Kong on July 12-17, 2023. 

After meeting virtually since early April 2023, the IMA Secretariat members were finally able to meet face-to-face in Hong Kong. While in Hong Kong, Rut and Kiarra met with the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), which also supports the secretariat work of the IMA, to discuss the Secretariat's work plan according to the 1-year activity plan developed by International Coordinating Body (ICB) members during their meeting in Malaysia last June.

The IMA Secretariat will continue to coordinate with IMA member organizations, ICB members, and IMA chapters. Mainly, the IMA Secretariat will provide support for the different activities and campaigns of its members and chapters, primarily through its communications and publicity engagement alongside coordinating national, regional, and global actions tackling the conditions of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. 

Apart from discussing the plans and activities that would be carried out by IMA and IMA members in the near future, Kiarra and Rut also had the opportunity to integrate with the migrant workers from the Philippines and Indonesia on June 16, 2023. 

From their interactions with migrant workers, Rut and Kiarra learned that many migrants’ rights are still being disregarded by sending and receiving countries. Many did not know where to complain when they were treated unfairly by their employers. The consulate, which was supposed to be the place they could rely on, seemed like an unreachable entity unwilling to provide assistance when migrant workers faced cases in court. 

Amid the many injustices experienced by migrant workers, they felt that there was no other option but to work abroad to provide for their families and send their children to school. Those who have been working in Hong Kong for a long time are afraid to return to their home country, as lower wages in their respective areas would equate to their incapacity to provide for their family's basic needs.

More and more migrants are increasingly becoming aware of their rights because of the help of the migrant organizations, which are led and organized by the migrants themselves. They work collectively to raise their concerns and continuously develop ways to fight for their rights through campaigns, education, cultural work, and awareness-raising.