30 Apr The Sevilla Manifesto: Voices of migrant workers from Sevilla and beyond
In the picture: 28 migrant-led organisations and migrants’ rights organisations took part of the “Learnings on the Organization of Migrant Workers” workshop in Seville, Spain
On the occasion of Labour Day, 1 May 2025, we issue the Sevilla Manifesto to draw attention to – and inspiration from – the experiences of struggle and resistance of migrant workers across Europe and in Andalucia in particular. The Manifesto builds on key conclusions and recommendations from the meeting “Learnings on the Organization of Migrant Workers”, which took place in Seville in 2024, and brought together 12 migrant-led associations working in Andalucia, with 15 other migrants’ rights organisations from 10 countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Malta, Greece, Poland, UK, Germany, Spain, Cyprus, and the Netherlands). Organised by PICUM, Mujeres Supervivientes and Andalucia Acoge, the workshop focused on the multiple experiences of struggle and resistance of migrant workers in different sectors in Andalucia – such as domestic work and care, agriculture, and hospitality – , and considered how these experiences are mirrored and differ across the EU. We highlight how mutual support networks are being woven by people in neighbourhoods and villages, and how all these experiences, which are born from living in hostile contexts, manage to bring dignity and advances in rights to their members.
This manifesto reflects inputs from all participants, setting on key conclusions and recommendations. Multiple obstacles to access rights and associated services: On a daily basis, migrants face barriers to access information, civil registration, services and regularisation that violate their fundamental rights. The lack of an intersectional perspective ignores how various oppressions and/or situations interact, creating further exclusion. These barriers are compounded by racial discrimination and structural violence, both social and institutional, which perpetuate inequalities and lead to rights violations such as lack of labour contracts, access to justice, and decent housing, where systematic rejections of rental applications are common.
In this context, one of the most severe situations is the precarious conditions in settlements where agricultural workers live, reflecting a reality of structural violence in Andalusia. In education, migrant children face bullying, while the qualifications and knowledge of professionals are delegitimize, relegating them to low-paying and exploitative jobs. Exploitation in the workplace: The exploitation is alarming: extremely long working hours, wages below minimum standards and frequently withheld and stolen by employers, lack of contracts, and the absence of safety measures are all common. Migrant women, in particular, are vulnerable to sexual abuse and threats. This is further complicated by language barriers, which hinder communication in essential services, and a lack of information about rights and available resources, leaving many in situations of extreme vulnerability. The fear of retaliation and/or deportation paralyzes those who wish to report abuses and seek remedy through formal mechanisms. It also further renders their specific realities invisible, such as those of LGBTQIA+ migrants.
The strength of resistance and alliances: Despite this bleak picture, the strength of the collective emerges as a possibility for political and human alliances full of hope, the kind of hope that sustains and drives struggle. Community networks and alliances have shown that collective work allows resistance and demands for change. The so-called “juntanzas” (gatherings) are empowerment spaces where stories are shared, strategies are built, and inclusive leadership is strengthened. Collaboration between migrants and native communities fosters fairer and more representative narratives. Furthermore, it is essential to increase training and information spaces to promote informed activism, necessary to combat these injustices. The future requires structural change: We need to rethink the language and rhetoric used to show more respect to migrants, who are holders of dignity, and to strengthen community and support organizations’ capacities in achieving political emancipation. It is crucial to develop collective strategies such as media campaigns, alliances with trade unions, and safe spaces for mobilization and political activism. Migrant youth must also be enabled to actively participate in these spaces and actions, being the protagonists and voices of their own legitimate demands. Community organization and the visibility of these realities not only promotes basic rights but also reinforces the affections and political strength of the associative fabric that benefits us all in building a diverse, more just, and egalitarian society.
Necessary changes: It is essential to create participatory processes for establishing networks among migrant people. These processes should also foster horizontal and democratic political alliances with a range of organizations to walk together in building a society that celebrates diversity, and fights against racism. We aspire to a future of the common good, where everyone, including migrants, can belong. A future based on rights, without invisibilizing, discriminating, or instrumentalizing anyone. Accepting cultural and social diversity for respectful, kind, and care-based coexistence. This unity will allow us to address exploitation, and other labour and human rights violations when committed by employers in the workplace. A central aspect is the need for safe and effective mechanisms for reporting and remedy, ensuring that victims of these situations are not at risk of being deported, and are protected. In this, there is a role for research and external observers and actors who can support in information provision, detection,
identification and filing complaints. The role of trade unions and labour authorities is key.
For all these reasons, the undersigned entities demand that public institutions in Spain and in Europe more generally fulfill their functions and urge them to:
● Ensure victims of labour rights violations and violence have safe and effective mechanisms to report and access remedy and reparations , protecting migrants from potential retaliation and deportation, and including external support.
● Strengthen and expand regularization pathways, simplifying the procedures and eliminating bureaucratic barriers that are impossible to fulfill for many people working in precarious sectors.
● Ensure access to basic rights such as healthcare, education and housing, in law and in practice. In Spain, the effective implementation of the right to register in all municipalities. is crucial to ensuring that migrants are not discriminated against and can access basic rights and regularisation.
● Promote accessible funding avenues for grassroots organizations and spaces for community education and activism that foster collective empowerment and the fight against
discrimination.
We resist, we sustain, and we walk together with strength toward the future.
LIST OF SIGNATORIES
AMIA
Arbeit und Leben Berlin Brandenburg e.V.
Asociación de Mujeres Migrantes por la Igualdad
Asociación Nueva ciudadanía por la Interculturalidad ASNUCI
Asociación Senegal Onubense
Asociación Sevilla Negra
Asociacion Tierra Matria
Association for Legal Intervention
Centre for Legal Aid Voice in Bulgaria
CONVIVE Fundación Cepaim
FairWork
FAIRWORK Belgium
FLEX
Generation 2.0 for Rights, Equality and Diversity
Grupo Artemisa Migrante y refugiada
Ivorian community of Greece
Jornaleras en asentamientos de Huelva
JRS Malta
KISA
Le Monde des Possibles
Maternidades negroafricanas
Migrants’ Rights Network
Mujeres cuidadoras sin papeles de Igualeja
Mujeres Supervivientes
Ocalenie Foundation
PICUM
Siriri + Asociación Nosotras Granada
SolidarityNow