PICUM (the Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants) is a
non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
located in Brussels that aims to promote
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
and respect for the
human rights
Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
of
undocumented migrants
Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of that country's immigration laws, or the continuous residence in a country without the legal right to do so. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, wi ...
within Europe.
It provides a direct link between the
grassroots
A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from volunteers at the local level to imp ...
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 of 160 member organisations working with undocumented migrants in 32 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, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, and
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, 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:
* Access to justice
* Children and youth
* Detention and returns
* Healthcare
* Housing
* Labour
* 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
{{reflist
External links
PICUM's official website
International organisations based in Belgium
Migration-related_organizations