The way we discuss migration in the Netherlands is dehumanising. We talk about ‘it’ as if migration exists separately from an actual human being, one who through unknown conditions has left their home. This is no different for labour migrants, who are mostly spoken of in terms of disturbance or judged based on their economic value. The questions that predominate public discussions about labour migration are: how are ‘they’ of use to ‘us’ and how much of a problem do migrants pose to ‘our’ society. Much less is the discussion about the living and working conditions that labour migrants find themselves in in the Netherlands and the positive effects of migration on a society. And above all, systemic questions are completely disregarded. What conditions cause people to leave their home? What is the role of state policy in the web of global migration? How do capitalism and imperialism foster these dynamics, and how are these systems gendered? And most importantly: what forms of resistance arise in these systems of oppression? To answer these questions, Leaving Home takes a closer look at the intersection of gender, labour, and migration. Through a close reading of personal essays written by female labour migrant workers from the Philippines and Indonesia – supported by a conversation between community organisers and migrants, and a solidarity letter writing session – the program examines the systemic conditions that underlie labour migration and emphasises the human-side of this discussion.
