International Migrants Day 2011: Migrants of the world, rise up against imperialism!

Resist commodification, modern-day slavery and other imperialist attacks on migrants and the people!

Statement of the International Migrants Alliance on the International Migrants Day 2011

The International Migrants Day 2011 is commemorated amidst intensified attacks on the livelihood and rights of migrants under the worsening global economic and financial crisis brought about and intensified by imperialist globalization and war. At the same time, the day is remembered amidst an upsurge of people’s movements against imperialism and the advancement of the militant migrants’ movement worldwide.

For migrants, immigrants, refugees and other displaced peoples, the global crisis has resulted to even more severe, exploitative and oppressive condition as both the countries of destination and countries of origin try to squeeze the maximum of profits and benefits from the commodification and modern-day slavery of migrants.

Such imperialist framework on migration is best exhibited in the Global Forum on Migration and Development that remains now as the multilateral venue for the more powerful countries to shape migration and migration policies according to their own interests. They use mantras of development and cooperation, and pay lip service on migrant’s rights to muddle the waters and hide the exploitative agenda of imperialism and the ruling class of countries of destination and countries of origin.

While already discredited among the grassroots migrants and advocates, the GFMD is still being used to counter the exposition of the grassroots migrants on the inhumanity, injustice and indignity brought about by commodification and modern-day slavery.

IMA leads counter-GFMD protest in front of United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland

The International Migrants Alliance (IMA) Europe section led a militant protest picket in front of the UN Complex in Geneva, Switzerland last December 1, to protest the holding of the 5th GFMD in Geneva and to say no to the GFMD,
 
The IMA held banners and posters which said: NO to the GFMD! UPHOLD the Rights of the Undocumented! No to the EU Return Directive! No to the Criminalization and Deportation of the Undocumented! Development for the People, NOT for Banks and Corporations!
 
Grassroots migrant and refugee and advocate participants came from Nigeria, Germany, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Italy, Denmark, Switzerland, Netherlands, and the Philippines.
 
The protest picket was the highlight of the successful two-day counter-GFMD activities (that included discussions of the IMA critique on the GFMD, workshop and forum on the IMA-initiated campaign on the undocumented) organized and led by the IMA Europe in Geneva, Switzerland that started  November 30, to further expose the anti-migrant framework of the GFMD and to fight the GFMD's vision to further exploit migrants and refugees and undermine their rights by utilizing them to boost state revenues and big corporate profits.
 
Representatives of Swiss Trade Unions, the Swiss Labor Party, World Council of Churches, Swiss Protestant Churches, Network of Swiss NGOs, respected human rights lawyers, and Filipino migrants in Geneva, participated and supported the IMA-led counter-GFMD activities. #