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Migration and Refugees

In many countries, skilled health and social care workers feel they must leave their families behind and work abroad to earn a decent income. They brave exploitation and discrimination. And their departure weakens health and social services in their home community. PSI works with unions worldwide to protect migrant workers and to improve the quality of health and social services. Read more

PSI joins civil society in welcoming the UN Global Compact on Refugees

18 December 2018

17 December 2018 marks the approval by the UN General Assembly of the United Nations Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). A result of a series of thematic discussions and formal consultations conducted by the UNHCR from 2017 through 2018, the GCR aims to strengthen the international response to large movements of refugees and protracted refugee situations.

Declaration of solidarity with the Central American Migrant Caravan

13 December 2018

We demand that the migration issue in the region be dealt with as an urgent matter of human dignity, and not as a matter of border patrols and armies. This situation requires the formulation of policies and agreements to protect the rights of migrants that facilitates the free circulation of all people. No-one is illegal!

PSI welcomes the adoption of the UN Global Compact on Migration

12 December 2018

Led by PSI General Secretary Rosa Pavanelli, PSI came to Marrakesh with a 45-member strong trade union delegation. In addition to participating in the Adoption Conference, PSI organised a Strategy workshop and participated in the civil society days of the Global Forum on Migration and Development, the Peoples Global Action and in the Global Unions Forum on Migration. On the eve of the Adoption Conference, PSI also organized a side event to promote a Stakeholders' Dialogue on Health Worker Migration and the Global Skills Partnerships, with the support of EPSU, WHO, FES and the German Federal Government.

Pulling out of the Migration Compact is an irresponsible step in the wrong direction

12 December 2018

The Council of Global Unions strongly denounces the ill-conceived decision of a number of UN Member States not to sign the historic agreement on 10 December 2018, the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).

PSI General Secretary’s speech on the eve of the Intergovernmental Conference on the Global Compact for Migration in Marrakesh

11 December 2018

“Building walls, building fences, is not a solution […] the issue is how we can receive these people with fairness, with justice, with equity,” says PSI General Secretary, Rosa Pavanelli in her opening speech on the eve of the Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration in Marrakesh.

70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

10 December 2018

Today, 10 December, we celebrate International Human Rights Day and the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

PSI video: Public education for all

29 November 2018

#SolidarityWithRefugees  PSI is launching the second video, of a series of three, on building quality public services for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. This second video focuses on quality public education for all.

United Nations General Assembly High Level Summit on Large Flows of Migrants and Refugees

17 June 2016

On 19 September 2016, the United Nations General Assembly will hold a “High Level Summit on Large Flows of Migrants and Refugees” at the UN in New York. The summit will call for a Global Compact on responsibility-sharing for refugees, which includes a comprehensive response plan on refugees and the strengthening of the global governance of migration.

Route of Shame 2016: Campaign Materials

26 May 2016

Join PSI and global trade unionists in a walk for social justice! Download campaign materials here and find out more about the Route of Shame 2016.

Posters: Hope has no borders

17 March 2016

Public services welcome migrants and refugees say PSI"s posters for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21st March.

Return and reintegration to the Philippines: An information guide for migrant Filipino health workers

24 November 2015

This booklet is a PSI Return and Reintegration Kit that was produced in 2015 in collaboration with the ILO Decent Work Across Borders Project.

Return and reintegration to the Philippines

30 June 2015

This return and reintegration booklet contains basic information about relevant topics to help Filipino migrant health workers who are planning to return to their home countries after taking up employment overseas.

Philippines pre-decision booklet on labour migration for health workers

30 June 2015

This pre-decision booklet contains basic information about several topics to help Filipino health workers who are considering taking up employment overseas. It seeks to empower health workers to make informed decisions and raise awareness of the issues related to health labour migration and ethical recruitment.

India Pre-decision booklet

30 June 2015

This pre-decision booklet contains basic information about several topics to help Indian health workers who are considering taking up employment overseas. It seeks to empower health workers to make informed decisions and raise awareness of the issues related to health labour migration and ethical recruitment.

Providing Education to Refugee Children from Conflict Areas in the Middle East - Fast track to Equal Opportunities and Integration (Sweden)

15 November 2016

On 21-22 November, PSI will be participating in a Conference organised by Education International (EI) in Stockholm, Sweden, on Providing Education to Refugee Children from Conflict Areas in the Middle East - Fast track to Equal Opportunities and Integration.

Culmination Conference of the PSI Project on Decent Work and Social Protection for Migrant Workers in the Public Services (Philippines)

06 October 2016

The PSI Project on Decent Work and Social Protection for Migrant Workers in the Public Services, is a three-year project (2014-2016) which aims to promote access to decent work and social protection for migrant workers in the public services. This conference will launch key campaigns of the project, culminate the work over the last three years, and pave the way to the future work of the PSI on migration and refugee issues.

PSI Migration Project - Joint monitoring meeting and Symposium (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone)

06 October 2016

The PSI Project on Decent Work and Social Protection for Migrant Workers in the Public Services will hold a project monitoring and planning meeting and Symposium in Parkview Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria, on 11-13th October 2016.

International Conference: Free trade and the right to (not) migrate (Brussels)

27 September 2016

The Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung is organising a Conference on Free Trade and the Right to (Not) Migrate on 29 September – 1 October in Brussels. PSI Migration Programme Coordinator, Genevieve Gencianos, is speaking in a panel on “Lessons for the future: 21st Trade Agenda, TTIP and Migration” on 30 September between 16h30 and 19h.

UN General Assembly High Level Summit on Large Flows of Migrants and Refugees (New York)

17 September 2016

The summit, to be held on 19 September at the UN in New York, will call for a Global Compact on responsibility-sharing for refugees, which includes a comprehensive response plan on refugees and the strengthening of the global governance of migration.

ILO Tripartite Technical Meeting on Recruitment

06 September 2016
ILO TTM on refugees

The Tripartite Meeting of Experts to Develop Guidance on Fair Recruitment is being held at the ILO in Geneva on 5-7 September. The objective is to adopt ILO guidelines on fair recruitment, encompassing both cross-border and national recruitment. PSI Migration Programme Coordinator, Genevieve Gencianos, delivered a speech on 5 September at the opening session of the meeting.

Civil Society Days: 9th Global Forum on Migration and Development (Dhaka)

21 July 2016

PSI and the Global Union Federations are planning to bring a delegation of trade union activists to the GFMD Civil Society Days (CSD). The Civil Society Days will take place on 8‐9 December 2016, to be followed by the GFMD on 10‐12 December 2016. Both events will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photo gallery: PSI at the UN HLD and the PGA

07 October 2013

PSI at the UN High Level Dialogue on Migration and Development and the Peoples Global Action on Migration, Development and Human Rights, New York (USA), 30 Sept - 4 October 2013.

Photo gallery: Launch of Migrant Desk in Johannesburg, South Africa

12 September 2012

The Migrant Desk will provide information, counselling, organizing, support services and networking for migrants, prospective migrants and returning migrants.

GFMD Civil Society Days

06 December 2011

At the 2011 meeting of the Global Forum on Migration and Development Civil Society Days, held in Geneva on 29-30 November 2011, civil society groups demonstrated in front of the UN Building in Gene