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INTENTION : |
FOR THOSE FLEEING THEIR OWN COUNTRIES - Let us pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys fraught with danger and violence, may find welcome and new living opportunities in their host countries.
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Migration is an epochal phenomenon. Within Asia Pacific, according to Fr Benny Juliawan SJ, JCAP (Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific) Social Apostolate Secretary, integrating migrant workers, either in the destination or home country, is an important work that offers a window into interactions between diverse groups of people in a complex migratory setting. The different experiences bring to the surface not only the hardship but also the ingenuity of migrants and the hospitality of host societies.
The term "migrant worker" conveys a sense of mobility which disguises the fact that many of them actually spend most of their time being grounded in one locality, either in the country of destination or in the home country when they return. In the countries of destination, a large number of migrant workers continuously extend their stay through either regular or irregular means. Their continuous presence in the country makes them practically members of the population, even if only temporarily, with all the consequences.
"Integration in host societies typically revolves around the issues of equality of treatment, access to public services, fair and decent working and living conditions and social cohesion," shares Fr Juliawan. According to him, many countries adopt a different set of laws to regulate migrant workers which provide fewer benefits than those afforded by standard labour laws. "The migrants' nationality and immigration status make them prone to discrimination, abuse and racism," he added.
Then, when they return to their home countries, as most migrant workers do, they often struggle with reintegrating into society. "After being away for a long duration of time, going home is not as simple as commuting back from work in the office. It often entails laborious processes of economic, social and cultural reintegration," said Fr Juliawan.
The reintegration of returning migrants poses a different kind of issue. Family reunion is a big concern in cases where family members have lived separately for an extended period of time. Families often have to pay the cost in the form of separation, infidelity, absent parenting and other forms of mental disorder associated with dislocation. Women in particular may face negative community attitudes when returning. They may have appropriated skills, lifestyles, values and worldviews of their host societies, which are not always in harmony with the more traditional values of their home towns and villages.
Many people also return in vulnerable situations: people living with a disability or other serious injury as a result of migration, people living with HIV/AIDS, victims of trafficking or other forms of exploitation and people who experience negative migration outcomes or experience involuntary early return (deportation). On top of this, returning migrants are likely to face unemployment or economic hardship, with serious implications for their families.
What does repatriation actually mean for migrant workers? How do they adjust to the changing social, economic and cultural context? What are the available mechanisms to seek redress? These questions elicit a collective humane response within our backyard.
Adapted from "Settling down: the struggles of migrant workers to adapt",
Fr Benny Hari Juliawan, SJ
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https://jcapsj.org/2018/04/chronicling-the-struggles-of-migrant-workers-to-adapt/ )
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