We are Filipinos, we do bayanihan, we help each other: undocumented migrants in the Netherlands during COVID

Bayanihan, the much-cherished Filipino spirit of solidarity, civic unity and cooperation, is not confined to the bayan (town or country). It transcends borders, hanggang sa ibang bayan (all the way to other towns or countries). Lalaine Siruno (United Nations University) explains how the Filipino migrant community in the Netherlands have done a great deal to help their undocumented compatriots, who are excluded from formal social protection mechanisms. But community solidarity alone cannot be enough

In God we trust: Religious beliefs and sensemaking of Filipino undocumented migrants in the Netherlands

Religious beliefs play an important role in the sensemaking of the Filipino migration experience – from migration decisions to everyday life and integration, and even plans for return and reintegration. As the accounts above illustrate, however, notions of fate and destiny and convictions about a compassionate and benevolent God do not only serve as coping strategies. Rather, these beliefs also shape individual identities and reinforce narratives of self-sacrifice and risk-taking for a better life. There is no intention to romanticise or idealise irregular migration, but the stories shared here show how formidable religious beliefs, together with a strong family orientation, give Filipino undocumented migrants the aspirations and the capability to rise against the invisibility and the vulnerabilities imposed by their irregular migration status

The Multilevel Governance of Irregular Migration in the Netherlands

In the past, the government treated undocumented migrants in the Netherlands with considerable leniency. Since the early 90s however, preventing irregular migration has been a priority. Consistent with the country’s general approach, the governance of undocumented migrants can be characterised as multi-level, with national and local governments playing divergent roles, and civil society and migrant-led organisations playing an important role in the arm’s length provision of services. This multi-level approach has been more apparent in the Dutch response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While upholding exclusionary policies, the government has instituted ad hoc protection measures and introduced inclusive practices carried out for the most part by organisations, including those initiated by migrants. This illustrates that some welfare provision does not necessarily contradict a restrictive migration policy. However, the temporariness and unpredictability of inclusive practices underscore the tension between the visible ‘sunshine’ and the hidden ‘shadow’ politics in the multi-level governance of undocumented migrants in the Netherlands. This calls attention to the vital importance of policy coherence and continuity as well as a more adaptive and reflexive governance strategy

Public Health Enforcement: Can It Be Justified?

Asian Bioethics Review1154-5

‘We are Filipinos, we do bayanihan, we help each other’: undocumented migrants in the Netherlands during COVID

Bayanihan, the much-cherished Filipino spirit of solidarity, civic unity and cooperation, is not confined to the bayan (town or country). It transcends borders, hanggang sa ibang bayan (all the way to other towns or countries). Lalaine Siruno (United Nations University) explains how the Filipino migrant community in the Netherlands have done a great deal to help their undocumented compatriots, who are excluded from formal social protection mechanisms. But community solidarity alone cannot be enough

The Multilevel Governance of Irregular Migration in the Netherlands

In the past, the government treated undocumented migrants in the Netherlands with considerable leniency. Since the early 90s however, preventing irregular migration has been a priority. Consistent with the country’s general approach, the governance of undocumented migrants can be characterised as multi-level, with national and local governments playing divergent roles, and civil society and migrant-led organisations playing an important role in the arm’s length provision of services. This multi-level approach has been more apparent in the Dutch response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While upholding exclusionary policies, the government has instituted ad hoc protection measures and introduced inclusive practices carried out for the most part by organisations, including those initiated by migrants. This illustrates that some welfare provision does not necessarily contradict a restrictive migration policy. However, the temporariness and unpredictability of inclusive practices underscore the tension between the visible ‘sunshine’ and the hidden ‘shadow’ politics in the multi-level governance of undocumented migrants in the Netherlands. This calls attention to the vital importance of policy coherence and continuity as well as a more adaptive and reflexive governance strategy

In God we trust: Religious beliefs and sensemaking of Filipino undocumented migrants in the Netherlands

Religious beliefs play an important role in the sensemaking of the Filipino migration experience – from migration decisions to everyday life and integration, and even plans for return and reintegration. As the accounts above illustrate, however, notions of fate and destiny and convictions about a compassionate and benevolent God do not only serve as coping strategies. Rather, these beliefs also shape individual identities and reinforce narratives of self-sacrifice and risk-taking for a better life. There is no intention to romanticise or idealise irregular migration, but the stories shared here show how formidable religious beliefs, together with a strong family orientation, give Filipino undocumented migrants the aspirations and the capability to rise against the invisibility and the vulnerabilities imposed by their irregular migration status