MIGRANTE Europe is part of MIGRANTE International– the international alliance of Filipino migrant organizations. MIGRANTE was founded in the Philippines in 1992 covering Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. At the international consultation attended by delegates of Filipino migrant organizations held December 1994 in Cavite, Philippines, it was expanded to include other global regions like Europe, Canada and the United States. MIGRANTE International represents the patriotic movement of migrant Filipinos.

In Western Europe, there are now, based on unofficial estimates more than 500,000 Filipino migrants. More than half is women. They are concentrated in big cities like Rome in Italy, Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, London in Great Britain, Athens in Greece, Hamburg in Germany, Antwerp in Belgium and Paris in France. Majority of them works as domestic workers, while others are nurses, factory workers, offshore workers, au pairs, and entertainers or employed in other branches of the service sector. Some have become residents in various European countries and a few are professionals.

MIGRANTE Europe works for the basic interests of migrant Filipinos in Europe. It defends, protects and promotes the rights and welfare of Filipino migrant workers, in particular, and overseas Filipinos in general.

MIGRANTE Europe served as the campaign center in Europe for the worldwide campaign to seek justice for Flor Contemplacion, a Filipina domestic worker who was unjustly accused and hanged by the Singapore government on March 17, 1995. It also anchored in Europe during the last quarter of 1995 the successful campaign to save the life of Sarah Balabagan, another Filipina domestic worker who was eventually saved from her sentence to die by firing squad in the United Arab Emirates, after defending herself from being raped by her employer.

MIGRANTE Europe derives its inspiration not only from the experiences of outstanding Filipino migrants such as Jose Rizal, Marcelo del Pilar, Carlos Bulosan and Antonio Zumel, but also from the martyrdom of  Flor Contemplacion and countless and nameless other present-day Filipino migrants who were abused, exploited and murdered.

MIGRANTE Europe is both an alliance of progressive Filipino organizations and a coordinating center whose European office is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. As an alliance, MIGRANTE Europe is composed of several organizations of Filipinos in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Greece, Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.

European Secretariat Address:
MIGRANTE Europe
Visiting Address: Third Floor, Volkskrantgebouw
1091 GR Amsterdam
Postbus 15687, 1001 ND Amsterdam, The Netherlands
E-mails: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Board of Directors (2008):
1) Rev. Cesar Taguba (Netherlands)  - chairperson
2) Ms. Delle Tiongson-Brouwers (Netherlands) - secretary
3) Ms. Raquel Domingo (Netherlands) - finance officer
4) Ms. Grace Punongbayan (Netherlands)
5) Mr. Manny Sarmiento (Austria)
6) Mr. Pat Valenzuela (Denmark)
7) Mr. Ador Olavere (Belgium)
8) Ms. Wennie Flores (Italy)
9) Ms. Vivian Salud (Netherlands)
10) Dr. Rita De Belder (Belgium)

Postbank (Amsterdam) Acct. No. 7400984
KvK No: 41216211
BTW No. 808837916B01

Staff:
Manuel Singson III (Amsterdam) – coordinator for the Netherlands
Rio Mondelo (Amsterdam) – in charge of information, communications, education and administration
Aldo Gonzales – IT/special projects
Grace Punongbayan  (Utrecht) - volunteer

Programs, Services and Activities:

1)Information and Documentation

>Pinoy Abrod – a monthly journal with a total circulation of 500. Distributed to Filipino communities in The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Norway, UK, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.

>Library and Documentation Services – the Migrante Europe library contains materials on Filipino migrants, migration, human rights, socioeconomic data, information from the Dutch immigration office, Philippine newspapers and magazines, campaign materials on different sectoral issues as well as urgent Filipino migrant issues, etc.

>regular information evenings – Migrant Europe organizes regular fora on urgent migrant, national and development issues; discussions with visitors from sectoral and other Filipino migrant organizations in the Philippines and abroad as well as visitors from other countries are regularly organized to inform the Filipino community in the Netherlands, the Dutch public, media and NGO community.

2)Education and Organizing Work

>Migrante Europe conducts education and training sessions upon request of Filipino organizations or individuals/contact persons, on such topics as migration, the Philippine national situation, human rights, community journalism, progressive art and culture, etc. Through these education sessions, Migrante Europe facilitates organizing work in countries or areas where Filipinos want to form their own organization. It provides interested parties with a special short course on step-by step organizing of Filipino organizations and provides trainors for organizing work. It also helps in consolidating the organizations through these education and training sessions.

3)Campaigns and Advocacy Work

Joined campaigns on the following:
>ratification of the UN Convention for the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families
>removal of the ban on the Philippine government’s deployment of Filipino au pairs to the Netherlands
>peace negotiations between the GRP and the NDFP by submitting a resolution in the European Parliament on the issue
>legalization and amnesty for undocumented Filipino migrants
>stop to the state exactions by the Philippine government on Filipino migrants
>facilitation of refugee status to Filipino political refugees
>repeal of anti-migrant laws/bills such as the Dutch Koppelingswet and the Italian Dini Bill

4)Networking, Lobbying and Partnership Building

>initiated the Europewide Consultation of Organizations of Filipinos or ECOFIL. Held every two years since 2001, the ECOFIL is now on its way to its third assembly which will be held in the romantic city of Rome, Italy in 2005. ECOFIL has been able to gather and convene an increasing number of organizations of Filipinos in Europe to build a network of self-help organizations, to support urgent issues and campaigns of Filipinos in Europe and the homefront, and to link up with people’s organizations in the Philippines and as many progressive organizations of migrants of other nationalities in Europe, and organizations and service institutions of Europeans.
>undertakes bilateral relationships with progressive European organizations, churches and institutions.
>attends major international conferences/seminars on migrant and development issues
>maintains partnership with MIGRANTE International, BAYAN Philippines, Cordillera People’s Alliance, National Council of Churches in the Philippines, GABRIELA, major sectoral organizations of workers, peasants, youth, Moro people, churchpeople, professionals, health, indigenous, and MIGRANTE International-affiliated formations of progressive Filipinos in the U.S., Canada, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
>has a consultative status with the International League of People’s Struggles (ILPS), a broad progressive alliance of people’s organizations worldwide.

5)Special Projects

>Computer/Internet lessons
>Dutch Language lessons
>Video Documentation on special issues
>Filipiniana Multi-Media Heritage Library
>Sine Pinoy (Filipino Films)
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