Front-line organizing

1. Front-line organizing Perspectives on Migration, Settlement and Families

2. What is PMSC? • The Philippine Migrants Society of Canada was established in 2000 as a cause-oriented organization that: • Advocates for migrant rights and welfare in Canada. • Supports fundamental social change in the Philippines to address the roots of forced migration. • Part of a national and international network of organizations under Migrante Canada and Migrante International. • Who are our members? • About 100 members, most came to Canada under the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP).

3. Perspective on migration • Migration benefits the Philippine economy and the Canadian economy, but the costs are borne by migrants and their families. • Benefit to the Philippines • Everyday over 4,200 Filipinos leave to work overseas to help their families survive conditions of widespread unemployment and poverty. Migration is facilitated by the Philippine Labour Export Program (LEP). About 70% of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are women. • Filipino migration benefits the Philippine economy. In 2012, the Philippines was the 3rd biggest recipient of remittances (roughly $20 billion USD), after India and China. • Benefit to Canada • The Philippines is one of the top source countries of immigrants to Canada. Many Filipinos arrive as skilled workers. • Filipinos are the largest group of temporary foreign workers in Canada. Many eventually become permanent residents under provincial nominee programs and the Live-in Caregiver Program. • Filipino women make up the vast majority of foreign live-in caregivers who arrive each year to meet the care giving and domestic work needs of Canadian families. • BUT migration overseas has been costly to Filipino migrants and their families.

4. Perspective on settlement • Settling for disadvantage: Settlement in Canada is often a difficult experience for Filipino migrants and their families, particularly when they first arrive as temporary foreign workers. • Brain waste: Filipinos have high employment rates compared to groups of migrants, but have low incomes despite high levels of educational attainment. Concentration in low-wage, part-time sales and personal services (e.g., care giving) occupations. • Fragmented families: As temporary foreign workers, Filipinos have to endure long periods of separation from their families. For live-in caregivers, it is an average of 5 to 7 years before they are re-united with their families. For some, as long as 17 years of separation. Broken and dysfunctional families are becoming all too common. • Disadvantaged youth/children: Children of Filipino migrants have lower education outcomes (i.e., not likely to have a degree) compared to their parents and other migrant youth. High school drop-out rates. • This disadvantage is attributed to family separation/breakdown and financial hardship of parents who have minimum-wage jobs, part-time contractual jobs, and irregular or shift work.

5. Organizing: What do we do? • Our organizing efforts focus on: • Most vulnerable and exploited migrants, particularly those who go through temporary status before becoming permanent. • Migrant youth, as they are deeply affected by family separation and the economic vulnerability of their parents. • But also concerned about the persistent disadvantage that many Filipinos face, including those who arrive as skilled workers. • Even for skilled workers, being selected for the labour market is not a guarantee that their foreign education and skills are recognized. • Education is a key pillar of organizing • Awareness of migrant issues and rights is the first step to taking action. • Work on individual cases is important to help migrants in very difficult situations, which at times lead to campaigns for systemic change (e.g., case of Juana Tejada).

6. Organizing: What do we do? • Campaigns at different levels • Global campaigns through Migrante International • Raising funds and other support as part of the Sagip Migrante (Rescue Migrants) to help rebuild communities devastated by Typhoon Haiyan and other natural disasters. • Ongoing coordination to address the conditions of forced migration and systemic exploitation of migrants (e.g., exorbitant fees). • National campaigns through Migrante Canada • Improving consular services to migrants – now focused on setting up consular offices in areas of Filipino concentration (e.g., Alberta). • Local campaigns • Mobilizing community resources to assist migrants in precarious situations.

7. For more information, contact us by e-mail: info@pmscottawa.com