Category Archives: Migrant Workers
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When home is where the hurt is: Options for migrant victims of domestic violence
Leave a commentOctober 24, 2014 by Noel Pangilinan
Migrants are vulnerable to domestic abuse. In a situation where one’s immigration status depends almost entirely on the sponsor, the potential for abuse – domestic or otherwise, lies in wait. There are, however, ways by which victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or crime can obtain immigration status independently of their sponsors.
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More foreign nurses may qualify for temporary work visas
Leave a commentJuly 25, 2014 by Noel Pangilinan
More foreign nurses may be able to come and work in the U.S. sooner than usual, following the release of a recent memo by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) describing how they can be sponsored for the H-1B temporary work visa.
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Quid pro quo: Permission to stay vs. permission to station
Leave a commentFebruary 25, 2014 by Noel Pangilinan
Is the temporary protected status for the Philippines tied to the U.S.’ request for increased military presence in the Philippines? There is at least one precedent in the history of U.S.-Philippines relations that suggests that is not far-fetched to assume that the United States is not beyond resorting to strong-arm tactics to get want it wants.
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TPS seen to aid Philippine recovery from Superstorm Haiyan
Leave a commentFebruary 8, 2014 by Noel Pangilinan
Remittances from U.S.-based Filipinos total $9.5 billion, which alone already constitute almost 75 percent of the funds needed to cover the $13 billion damage brought about by Typhoon Haiyan. TPS designation will allow Filipinos in the U.S. to continue to earn and send money to the Philippines to keep the country afloat.
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What is wrong with the U.S. immigration system?
Leave a commentNovember 7, 2013 by Noel Pangilinan
The presence of 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States is just the most obvious manifestation of the deeper problems that has plagued the U.S. immigration system for decades. A comprehensive and genuine immigration reform needs to address these root causes.
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War-time Mexican guest workers demand release of their pensions
2October 11, 2013 by Noel Pangilinan
Braceros, farm workers from Mexico who were recruited to work in US farms from 1942 to 1964, traveled 2,500 miles to bring attention to their plight. About 10 percent of the workers’ earnings while working in the US were deducted as contribution to a pension fund. The Mexican government, though, refused to pay them their pensions.
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From trafficking victim to militant migrant
Leave a commentSeptember 20, 2013 by Noel Pangilinan
She was a young mother who had to leave her husband and son in the Philippines in search of greener pastures. Instead, she and 14 other Filipino migrant workers fell prey to human trafficking in the United States. But she and the group now known as Florida 15 fought back. And their courage and determination have paid off.
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Will U.S. finally sign UN Convention on Migrant Workers’ Rights?
Leave a commentFebruary 14, 2013 by Noel Pangilinan
Obscured by the recent excitement over President Obama’s renewed push for a comprehensive immigration law is the fact that the United States has not signed a major international convention protecting the rights of migrant workers and their families.
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