The Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) have released “WHAT MIGRANTS WANT”, a 12-minute video presenting the issues confronting migrants and refugees during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as their demands, both urgent and long-term.

Some of the concrete policy demands in the film include:

  • Governments need to provide assistance to all returning migrants during the global pandemic
  • Need to improve migrant’s living conditions, including upholding workplace safety and migrants’ rights to decent and worthy work
  • Stop detaining migrants and expelling refugees, demilitarize the borders, and allow entry of stranded migrants
  • Combat stigmatization, racism, xenophobia, and anti-migrant sentiments; especially violence and attacks stemming from these.
  • Include migrants in governments’ services, protection, and economic relief programs
  • Change the migration-for-development framework of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration
  • In the long-run, pursue an independent, people-centered and sustainable development path

The demands of the film can also be found in the July 2020 position paper, “Covid-19 Pandemic and Demands for the migrants, refugees and displaced peoples,” of the International Migrants Alliance (IMA).

The film was developed in collaboration with Asosiasi Buruh Migrant Indonesia Hong Kong (ATKI-HK), Films4Peace Foundation, Indonesian Migrant Workers Union Hong Kong (IMWU-HK), International Migrants Alliance (IMA), Jaringan Buruh Migran Indonesia (JBMI), La Resistencia, Migrante International, Migrante Philippines and Miredes Internacional.

The film is found below:

“What Migrants Want” – film of the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants
News, Partners