[STATEMENT] Migrant and host workers of the world—unite against imperialism and neoliberal policies! No peace without equal rights and justice for all!
Statement of the International Migrants Alliance (IMA) in commemoration of the International Labor Day
1 May 2024
“Migrant and host workers of the world unite for rights, dignity and a world without imperialist exploitation!”—This is the call of the International Migrants Alliance (IMA) as it commemorates this year’s International Labor Day.
Since International Labor Day in 2023, both migrant and host workers have suffered increasing crackdowns and restrictions on unions and worker-led movements. Various organisations and trade unions have stated that violations of workers’ rights reached a record high last year, and is expected to worsen this year. According to the International Trade Union Confederation, nine out of ten countries have violated the right to strike, and protesting workers in these countries face brutal repression, prosecution and dismissals. In some countries such as the Philippines, union members and leaders have fallen victims to illegal arrests and extrajudicial killings.
Rated as “second-class citizens”, migrant workers face worse violations of their rights. Temporary migrant workers, including those in domestic and informal work, are being denied their rights to freely organise and form associations. Migrant groups in many countries have reported various forms of repression; such as requiring permits to hold protests, activities being denied by the police, being threatened with arrest and deportation if they assert their rights, and not being allowed to register their association or group.
Labor trafficking has worsened post-COVID, victimising millions of migrant workers from across the globe. Many find themselves in harsh living and working conditions in farms, fishing vessels, or even hotels doing menial work, while others are left stranded without food, accommodations or support in transit and destination countries. Equally disturbing are cases of trafficked victims forced to conduct cyber scams, and international students forced to pay tuition through menial, low-paid labor only to find out that their schools are fake.
Visa restrictions continue to loom over migrants’ heads like a guillotine. They are cut out of public services and job securities, and can be cut from their job or their host country at any time. In December 2023, more than 500 Filipino migrant workers in New Zealand were abruptly dismissed when their company went into receivership, and were barred from seeking other employment due to visa restrictions. South Korea recently enforced another severe crackdown on undocumented migrants, while refusing to improve their flawed and inefficient visa system. Many Bangladeshi migrant workers are languishing in Malaysia finding themselves without work after being made to pay, by erring recruitment agencies, exorbitant recruitment and visa fees. From these documented experiences of migrant workers globally, it is evident that the visa system inherently produces exploitation, poverty and state violence.
Now more than ever, migrant and host workers must unite and fight for their rights together. Governments are keeping migrant and host workers divided by spreading lies such as, “the migrants are taking your jobs” and giving more benefits to host workers so there is growing resentment towards them.
Regardless of where we are, working people everywhere are facing a historic cost-of-living crisis and spiralling inflation across both sending and receiving countries—and at the heart of this is imperialism and its neoliberal policies. Matching neoliberal exploitation are the many conflicts and wars that displace millions of people from their home countries. We continue to witness droves joining the migrant caravan in Latin America, the African migrants braving the Mediterranean Sea, the millions of Rohingyas and Palestinians being forced to flee.
These causes of exploitation, slavery and forced migration need to end.
The IMA stands in solidarity with all migrant and host workers this International Labor Day and every day. We will continue to fight alongside all exploited workers for their rights and dignity. It is clear that there is a direct correlation between workers’ rights and genuine peoples' freedom. Migrant and host workers are fighting the same fight, so we must unite and take what is ours from our exploiters. Whether big or small, a workers’ victory is a victory for us all, and no worker is free until we are all free.
Migrant and host workers unite against exploitation, imperialism and neoliberal policies!
Enough deaths at work! End imperialist wars!
No peace without equal rights and justice for all!
Long live international solidarity!
Reference: Eni Lestari, IMA Chairperson
