Migrants and Support Services: Lessons from three decades of work in the field

1. Fabio Baggio, Scalabrini Migration Center Migrants and Support Services: Lessons from three decades of work in the field

2. Main Question • How to develop institutions and infrastructure that would effectively support labor migrants, both public and private? • The response is very complex, but many positive experiences (concrete, effective and applicable) • The Scalabrini International Migration Network (SIMN) and the Scalabrini Migration Center (SMC): global, regional and country specific experiences

3. The Scalabrinians • Work for and with migrants since 1887 • More than 700 full-time operators and around 3000 cooperators • Stable presence in 31 countries in all the continents • Holistic vision and mission: research, sensitization of societies, influence on policy, advocacy, social assistance, human promotion and spiritual assistance

4. Scalabrinians in the World Italy, France Spain, Belgium Germany, UK, Switzerland, Portugal, Luxembourg Canada US Mexico Guatemala Haiti Australia Philippines Taiwan Indonesia Japan Vietnam Colombia Venezuela Peru, Brazil Bolivia, Paraguay Argentina, Chile Uruguay South Africa Mozambique

5. Scalabrinians in the World • 268 Missionary Centers: social and spiritual assistance to migrants, parishes, missionary centers, housing, training activities, economic aid, assistance to sick, community celebrations, etc. • 7 Centers for Migration Studies: research on migration-related topics, publication and dissemination of research outputs, advocacy and lobbying activities (migration policies) and training of NGOs operators. • 12 Legally Recognized NGOs: support services to migrants from assistance before departure (information, training, protection, etc.) to assistance upon arrival (information, skill upgrading, counseling, housing, etc.).

6. Scalabrinians in the World • 10 Academic and Cultural Centers: training programs for Scalabrinian new members, training programs for NGOs operators, cultural activities (maintenance and promotion of migrants’ culture and traditions), organization of events (migrants’ day, etc.). • 29 Periodical Publications: 6 scientific journals for dissemination of research outputs and interdisciplinary articles, many ethnic magazines and newspapers, other magazines on migration related issues, migrants’ assistance and news about migration. • 5 Radio Stations: ethnic programs, sensitization of local societies on migration-related issues, media campaign for defense and promotion of migrants.

7. Scalabrinians in the World • 7 Apostleship of the Sea: social and spiritual assistance to seafarers, lodging and accommodation facilities (shelters), training activities, counseling, paralegal and legal assistance, recreational activities, communication facilities, etc. • 17 Shelters and Assistance Centers for Land-based Migrants: lodging and accommodation, documentation of migration experiences, advocacy and legal advice to migrants, information and skill upgrading programs, medical assistance. • 15 Houses of Retirement for Migrants: lodging and accommodation, medical assistance, cultural activities, interaction with local communities.

8. Scalabrinians in the World • 36 Schools: primary and secondary education with a cross-cultural focus, addressing second generation migrants in multicultural contexts.

9. Information and Empowerment • Pre-Employment Orientation Seminars (PEOS) in colleges and communities by Scalabrini Lay Associations (SLA) • The action is structured into 6 modules of 2 hours each to be delivered in 3 or 6 sessions by experts in the corresponding field. The modules are based in the Filipino experience: 1) overview on migration phenomenon, 2) recruitment and document processing, 3) migrants’ rights and obligations, 4) presentation of major migration destinations, 5) fostering traditional values, and 6) financial management of migration experience. The action in 12 months (2008/2009) reached 1600 youth in Metro Manila and costs USD 20,000 (grant of USD 15,000, local counterpart of USD 5,000)

10. SLA’s PEOS in Antipolo, 2008

11. Information and Empowerment • Migrants’ Associations and Philippine Institutions for Development (MAPID), project in the Philippines, Italy and Spain • The action is structured in three stages: research, training and dissemination of results. The action aims at linking Filipino migrant associations in Spain and Italy and Philippine institutions in local sustainable development programs. It covers all the Philippines, Milan, Rome, Barcelona and Madrid. The research involved around 80 key informants in the Philippines, 400 migrants and 80 key informants in Italy and Spain, 170 Filipino migrants associations in Italy and Spain. The training (6 sessions) involved 118 policy makers in the Philippines, 90 leaders or members of Filipino associations in Spain and Italy. The dissemination activities will involve around 300 people in the Philippines, Spain and Italy. The cost of the action is around EUR 730,000 (grant of EUR 570,000, SMC counterpart of EUR 150,000).

12. MAPID Training in Davao, 2009

13. Information and Empowerment • SLA and CBCP-ECMI: financial literacy programs and microcredit initiatives • CBCP-ECMI has already started the action in 2009. The action is structured in financial literacy seminars offered to migrant families in specific territory (local communities or barangays). At the end of the seminar CBCP-ECMI invite the participants to gather in cooperatives and start a small enterprise for which a microcredit fund (up to USD 2,000) is immediately provided. At the date, more than 10 communities have been reached though the seminars and one (around 25 people) started a small enterprise with the microcredit fund. The cost of the action is around USD 40,000 (grant of USD 30,000, local counterpart of USD 10,000). • SLA will start the program in 2010. The action will address only one community (30 families) in Pangasinan, Luzon. The action will entail financial literacy programs, skill upgrading and capacity building for economic enterprises. The total cost of the action is EUR 45,000 (grant of EUR 40,000, local counterpart of 5,000).

14. Information and Empowerment • Holistic Pastoral Centers • In Santiago de Chile, the Integrated Pastoral Center offers several services to foreign workers and students: assistance to regularization process, legal assistance, job mediation, lodging and accommodation, referral, etc.. Since 2000 it has catered to thousands of migrants. After receiving donations as seed fund, the center is now self sustainable. • The Scalabrini Pastoral Center in Port Prince, Haiti, offers several services to departing migrants and families left behind: social and legal assistance, medical assistance, financial literacy programs, pre-departure information, etc.. An agriculture cooperative has been attached to the center so that, after using a seed fund (donations), the center is now self sustainable.

15. Protection and Promotion • Shelters for departing migrants and migrants in transit • Guatemala (2), Mexico (3) and Philippines (3): average capacity = 100 people, average stay = 1 month, self sustainable or sustained by private donors • Shelters for migrants upon arrival • Brazil (1), Chile (1) and Argentina (2) average capacity = 50 people, average stay = 1 month, self sustainable or sustained by private donors

16. SCPM in Quezon City, 2002

17. Protection and Promotion • Migrant Desks (Catholic institutions): paralegal services, referral to proper venues, etc. • information, paralegal services, social assistance, spiritual assistance, referral to other institutions, organization of campaigns for the protection and promotion of migrants’ rights, etc.; they are around 30 in 20 countries, catering to thousands of migrants every year. They are supported by the local Catholic Church and grants for specific projects from Catholic funding agencies.

18. Migrant Desk in Buenos Aires

19. Protection and Promotion • Protection projects at the triple borders • At the triple border of Paraguay/Argentina/Brazil the action aimed at curbing human trafficking through massive campaign and education in the schools. The action was implemented in two years. The leading organization was Save the Children Spain and was funded by the Spanish International Cooperation Fund. • At the triple border of and Bolivia/Chile/Peru the action aimed at creating a suitable environment for migrants frequently crossing borders due to labor offers. Sensitization of receiving societies, social and legal services, support to communication with family members, and other services were implemented in the last four years through the financial aid of Catholic funding agencies.

20. Assistance to Policy Makers • SIMN and 7 Scalabrinian Centers for Migration Studies • The centers serve regularly as advisors for congressional hearing, policy workshops and government/civil society interfaces organized by different governments in Asia and Latin America. Some examples. The new Argentinean immigration law was drafted with the assistance of the Scalabrinian center of study in Buenos Aires. The collaboration of SMC with the Japanese government was instrumental to the issuing of new policies on foreign entertainers. The MAPID project of SMC was instrumental to the inclusion of migration perspectives in the new national development plan of the Philippines.

21. Center for Migration Studies CIEMI CMS CSERPE CSER SMC CEM CEMLA Forthcoming

22. Scientific Journals

23. Assistance to Policy Makers • Collection and analysis of migration data • For example, the Migration Information System in Asia (MISA) implemented by SMC (supported by ILO) aimed to offer to Asian government reliable and comparable data on migration in order to provide grounds to the shaping of new migration policies. ILO is already using the set of MISA data in their negotiations with the government in the region. • Research and dissemination of outputs • The recent researches undertaken by SMC on the social costs of migration (i.e. Hearts Apart and CHAMPSEA) provided relevant inputs to the Philippine government to redesign their support programs to migrants and the members of their family. The journal APMJ and the electronic bulletin AMN are frequently used in the preparation of documents and studies grounding the shaping of new migration policies.

24. Assistance to Policy Makers • Documentation of best practices • For example, the MAPID Chronicles which will be published in the first semester 2010 will provide clear examples of replicable best practices and would serve as manual of reference to many local governments in the Philippines. • Interaction with governments (2 examples) • The Consultative Council for OFWs in the Philippines or CCOFW (permanent dialogue between government and civil society) was constituted thanks to the mediation of SMC. • During the past years the Center for Migration Studies in New York organized the US Legal Conference on migration, a space of dialogue between government representatives and the civil society on migration-related matters.

25. Training of Agents • Scalabrini International Migration Institute in Rome (SIMI), with masters in sociology and theology • Exodus training programs: more than 800 agents trained in the Philippines, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Malaysia • Migration Theology Program at the Loyola School of Theology • PMRW training seminar for NGOs’ operators • Cooperation with the Master on International Migration at the University of Valencia, Spain • Special training programs for cooperators (SLA)

26. Exodos in Iloilo, 2008

27. Summer School in Valencia, 2008

28. Advocacy and Networking • SIMN: offices in New York, Brussels and Geneva • Through the ECOSOC status obtained by the Center of Studies in New York, representatives of the Scalabrinians are present to the relevant meeting of the UN bodies and other international organizations directly dealing with migrants and refugees. Statements and documents ad hoc are prepared and submitted to the consideration of the states involved in the processes. The information necessary to prepare the statements is collected directly from the Scalabrinian grass-roots.

29. Advocacy and Networking • NGOs’ alliances (two examples) • SMC is member of the Philippine Migrants Rights Watch (PMRW) and serve as secretariat of the same umbrella organization. PMRW represent one of the main civil society partners of the Philippine government to discuss migration-related issue. • SMC is also member of the International Network on Migration and Development (INMD), a research network based in Zacatecas, Mexico. INMD offers data and reflections on the migration-development nexus to several governments and serve as official advisor of the governments of Bolivia and Ecuador.

30. Advocacy and Networking • Strategic partnerships (two examples) • SIMN has fostered partnership with the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) and Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in order to implement coordinated actions in the advocacy work and the support services delivery. • SIMN is collaborating with ICMC in the preparation of joint interventions in the international arenas. In a project shared with JRS, SIMN has taken charge of the social assistance in the refugee camp of Maratane, Mozambique.

31. Collaboration with international organizations • For example, several projects (research and service provisions) have been implemented by Scalabrinian entities with the support of ILO, IOM and UNHCR in different part of the world. SMC has served as advisor for WB in the regional dialogue on migration and development initiated in 2009.

32. Funding • Internal resources: sharing of human and financial capitals • Private donors (mostly Catholic individuals and institutions) • International funding agencies and International Cooperation Funds through presentation of project proposals • SIMN development offices in New York and Brussels