PICUM (the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants) is a
non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...
located in Brussels that aims to promote
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals ...
and respect for the
human rights
Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
of
undocumented migrants within Europe.
It provides a direct link between the
grassroots level, where
undocumented migrants' experience is most visible, and the European level, where policies relating to them are discussed and implemented.
PICUM also seeks to dialogue with organizations and networks with similar concerns in other parts of the world. PICUM currently represents an independent network o
167 member organisations working with undocumented migrants in 34 countries primarily in Europe as well as in other global regions.
History
The initiative to establish PICUM was taken in the late 1990s by grassroots organisations from
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
, the
Netherlands
)
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, established_title = Before independence
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, and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, that provided support to undocumented people.
As national
asylum policies became more and more Europeanised, these organisations found that there was a real vacuum regarding the humanitarian concerns of undocumented people at the European policy level. They decided to set up a platform to advocate for the rights of undocumented people at the EU level and ensure that the EU's migration policy is in line with Member States' obligations under regional and
international human rights standards.
PICUM's office opened in November 2000 in Brussels.
Activities
PICUM ’s activities are focused in four main areas:
# Monitoring and reporting: improving the understanding of issues related to the protection of the human rights of undocumented migrants;
# Capacity-building: developing the capacities of
NGOs and other involved actors to advance the human rights of undocumented migrants;
# Advocacy: influencing policy makers to include undocumented migrants in social and integration policies on the national and European levels;
# Awareness-raising: promoting and disseminating the values and practices underlying the protection of the human rights of undocumented migrants
Areas of work
PICUM’s main areas of work include:
1
Access to justice
2
Children and youth
3
Detention and returns
4
Healthcare
5
Housing
6
Labour
7
Women
'Words Matter' campaign
PICUM has also been advocating to change the narrative around migration and undocumented migrants, by raising awareness about the impact of terminology and language on the lives of undocumented people. With it
‘Words Matter’ campaign PICUM intends to move away from the term “illegal migrant” and promote the use of the terms “undocumented” or “irregular” as the organization believes using the word “illegal” implies criminality, is applied in a discriminatory way, and contributes to dehumanize this population.
Notes
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External links
PICUM's official website
International organisations based in Belgium
Migration-related_organizations