“Being migrant workers or refugees is not our dream. But because there is no other choice to survive, in order to improve our welfare and that of our families"
December
18 is International Migrant Day, since it was established by the ILO in 2000.
Of course, every commemoration day has an important reason and history for
everyone, so it is always celebrated every year.
We,
the International Young Christian Workers (IYCW) is in solidarity in the
commemoration of International Migrants Day 2023. Youth migration and refugees
are one of the priority actions of our movement.
“My name is Sharon and I am 23 years old. Currently I am
working in an Export Processing Zone in Sri Lanka as logistician. I migrated to
Colombo from my village to find work. However, I still dreaming to go to South
Korea for work, because I feel that here in Sri Lanka, my career development is
quite low and likewise the income is very low. I am the bread winner in the
family. I have one younger sibling. My mother works in an ice cream factory and
my father is a fisherman. Our combined salary is just enough for our daily
needs, but not able to plan our future.”
The
conditions and reality of why there are so many migrant workers today, is due
to the difficulty in finding jobs in their own country. There are some jobs
available, however the salary is not compensated well. Many young people cannot
afford the daily living costs like paying house rent, foods, health and everyday
fare. In many developing countries, people's purchasing power is decreasing
while poverty is increasing. The youth unemployment is on the rise forcing them
to migrate from rural villages to cities or to another countries to find Work. Like
Sharon, most of them aims of changing the fate of their lives and of their
families to be better. They only dream to find a better job with good salary so
that they can send money back home to support their family needs.
The International Labor
Organization (ILO) states that the increasing pace of economic globalization
has created more migrant workers than before. An estimated of 73 percent of the
migrants are workers. This translates to millions of workers and their families
traveling to countries other than their own in search of work. The ILO
estimates that there are approximately 244 million migrants worldwide,
representing 3.3 percent of the global population.
However, migration is not only limited due to lack of work in one country. There are also called the forced-migration due to war and socio-economic conflicts. There are many asylum seekers seeking refuge for the protection of their right to life. Not a few of the refugees also end up having to look for work in the country where they fled.
Migrant workers contribute to
the economy of the host countries, as well as the remittances they send to
their families help improve the economy of their home countries. However, many migrant
workers lack social protection and are vulnerable to exploitation and human
trafficking. Skilled migrant workers are less vulnerable to exploitation, but
their departure deprives the development of their own countries of valuable
labor needed for their own economies.
Migrants
are human too. Therefore, in commemorating the International Migrant Day this
year, we invite all IYCW members throughout the world, to voice the rights of the
migrant workers, and call for the protection and support for the refugees.
Sending and receiving country must ensure and provide legal protection and equal
rights to all migrant workers, regardless of age, color, religion and race.
That all government must adhere to the International Labor Standards as defined
by the ILO Convention 97 and 143.
WE
CALL FOR EQUALITY, JUSTICE AND JUST
WORK FOR A DIGNIFIED LIFE!
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