We are undocumented migrants and refugees who have gathered together to forge the strongest unity and cooperation to uphold and defend our rights, welfare and interests.

We live and work in The Netherlands as domestic workers, agricultural workers, construction workers, horeca workers, and others. We are also undocumented refugees. We have families and children. We, our families and children, are not criminals.

In our daily lives, we suffer from many insecurities and inconveniences. We have to transfer from room to room because we lack the right to housing, we are always anxious on the streets, in trams and buses and other public places because we are afraid of police control.

Now our lives are further threatened by the criminalization of the undocumented under the “European Union Return Directive”. This legislation provides for the arrest and deportation of an undocumented person, imposition of high fines, detention of up to 18 months and the imposition of a re-entry ban of up to five years after deportation.
We have the right to be treated as human beings, we are born free and equal and we have the right to be treated with dignity.

We have agreed to set up an alliance of migrant organizations and refugees for purposes of the campaign, which we have called the Alliance for Human Rights of the Undocumented (AHRU).

We have laid down the following as basis of our unity:

to give a voice to undocumented migrants and refugees;
to campaign against criminalization of the undocumented because such criminalization is immoral, unjust and unconscionable;
to campaign for regularization of hard-working and law-abiding undocumented migrants;
to foster unity and cooperation among migrant and refugee organizations and to reach the broadest possible support for the campaign.

We call on all migrants and refugees to close ranks and stand up against the criminalization of undocumented migrants and refugees; we call on them to unite and organize; and we call on the Dutch general public and all people of conscience, to support the defense of human rights, and join us in stopping the criminalization of the undocumented.

MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS OF AHRU:
1. African Migrants Collective
2. Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (IMWU)
3. Kabalikat
4. Makabayang Samahan ng Pilipino sa Nederland (MKSP)
5. Migrante-NL
6. OTRADELA
7. Overseas Indonesian Workers Association (OIWAN)
8. Pinay Sa Holland
9. SAMAKA
10. Tamil Center for Human Rights