Cleaning up the Environment to legalise the status of migrant people

The Sindicat de Cuidadores Sense Papers didn’t only find it necessary to provide food and assistance on migration and care for children during the time of the pandemic. With the will of taking a further step, they have now created the association Migractiva to provide environmentally friendly cleaning services to individuals and companies to hire and help legalise the status of migrant workers, as well as offering them support and decent work. 

“We tend to use many chemical products that harm our health and the environment”, says Sílvia Sánchez. That is why we are now offering our services focusing on care, rather than “just a service”. “It can contribute to legalise the status for many women who are heading families, as well as people in precarious situations who need help”, she adds. 

Sánchez and seven others are behind this new association, which receives support from Barcelona Activa and the Ateneu del Raval, where their office is. Many of its members do not yet have a contract or documents, and this is the sad reality of many, so they want to change this situation. 

32.5% of domestic workers and care workers are living under the poverty threshold in Spain, according to a report by Oxfam Intermon. Labour exploitation, precarious jobs and loneliness are violating their rights, according to another report by Spanish union Comisiones Obrearas (CCOO). They work long hours and have no free time, and experience humiliation, abuse and are emotionally mistreated. 

“We want to move on and live free of exploitation right now. We are responsible people who are willing to work and we want to do things better”, Sánchez concludes.