In the Netherlands alone, there are more than 150.000 migrants (of which most undocumented women), that work in the informal sector of domestic work and care. Their work ranges from cleaning homes, to caring for children to caring for the elderly. Despite its essential function, and the great demand for such work in Dutch society, domestic work is not recognized by law as real work but falls under the sub-regulation “Regeling Dienstverlening aan Huis”. With the denial of domestic work as work in judicial terms, basic rights such as health care or labor rights protection are not met, leading to vulnerability and exploitation.
In the recent elections, migration has been propelled to the forefront of political debates, with anti-migrant sentiment reaching a fever pitch. What is urgently needed is a responsible and balanced discussion on the value of migrant domestic work in Dutch society, and on the steps needed to reach fairer and safer livelihoods for migrant domestic workers. In this programme we aim to provide the audience with a range of perspectives. Namely, the Community Theatre Collective of Undocumented Migrant Domestic Workers will present a short theatre play, followed by a discussion with migration law experts, economic analysts, and policymakers. The goal of this event is to contribute meaningfully to the debate on the win-win situation of domestic work and migration in the Netherlands, and EU.
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According to the United Nations agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), there were 281 million international migrants worldwide as of 2020. The main causes of involuntary or forced migration are wars, poverty, and the global climate crisis. Most of these involuntary migrants originate from underdeveloped countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, which disproportionately bear the burden of these conflicts, economic hardships, and environmental challenges. The preferred destinations for these migrants are developed Western countries, which are often viewed as being largely responsible for the aforementioned issues. Recent elections in the US and Europe have propelled migration to the forefront of political debates, with anti-migrant sentiment reaching a fever pitch. What is urgently needed is a responsible and balanced discussion on this critical issue.
