Migrante Netherlands welcomes and celebrates the hard-won victory of the former cleaners of Saints & Stars Gym in their labor case against the Amsterdam-based luxury fitness center. In a decision released by the Amsterdam District Court (Rechtbank) today December 16, the ruling confirms that Saints & Stars falsely promised legal work permits to migrant workers which is an undeniable act of deception used to recruit, control, and exploit their labor.
This victory is another landmark win for Filipino migrant workers and the Filipino people, especially at a time when conditions across the Netherlands and the European Union are becoming increasingly restrictive for migrants who are facing abuse or exploitation in the workplace. Instead of protection, exploited migrant workers who expose abuse are often met with deterrents, legal uncertainty, and the constant threat of detention or deportation.
For decades, Filipino workers have been pushed abroad by economic hardship, joblessness, landlessness, and a massive labor export industry that thrives on their vulnerability. False promises of regularization and legal status have long been used to silence Filipino workers in Europe and to keep them trapped in abusive conditions. This ruling breaks that pattern and affirms that Filipino migrant workers can stand up, speak up, organize, and win.
This case also exposes a widespread and systemic practice affecting many Filipino and other migrant workers across sectors in the Netherlands. It must serve as a warning to employers who exploit migrant labor by dangling false promises of sponsorship or work permits.
We salute the courage and determination of the 11 Filipino workers who refused to be intimidated, and pursued their case despite serious risks to their livelihood and migration status. Their collective struggle sends a powerful message that conditions of precarity does not erase labor rights, and deception by employers will not go unchallenged.
At the same time, Migrante Netherlands stresses that the fight is not yet over. An appeal concerning the decision of the Openbaar Ministerie is still pending, and the workers continue to face uncertainty over their right to stay and work in the Netherlands. The struggle to prevent their eviction from the state-provided shelters, to prevent their deportation and to secure justice, safety, and stability for the workers and their families continues.
Migrante Netherlands calls on the Dutch authorities to ensure that the workers who exposed the exploitative practices of companies like Saints & Stars Gym are protected and not punished. We call on the Dutch government to end practices and abolish policies that criminalize migrant workers while they allow abusive employers to escape accountability. We call on the Dutch public to continue supporting the struggle of the Filipino workers until they achieve full justice.
We condemn the silence of the Philippine Embassy in The Hague. During our dialogue with the Philippine Embassy last August 8, the Embassy declared that it was “closely monitoring” the case. And yet despite being informed of developments, including the recent decision of the Openbaar Ministerie, the Embassy chose to respond with “no comment” when asked by the media.
Moreover, requests for assistance submitted to the Embassy explicitly included sustained financial assistance and other forms of support to which they committed, given the workers’ precarious situation and the threat of deportation. Yet what the Embassy and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) provided amounted only to one-time assistance, grossly insufficient for workers facing prolonged legal battles and the risk of homelessness. This token response falls far short of the Embassy’s mandate to protect the rights, welfare, and safety of Filipino nationals abroad. At a time when Filipino workers are facing deportation and prolonged uncertainty, their silence and inaction are unacceptable.
To our fellow Filipino compatriots facing abusive and exploitative conditions at work, we urge you to speak up, to get organized, and to support one another in our common fight for dignity and justice.
Migrante Netherlands stands firmly with the Saints & Stars workers. We celebrate this landmark victory, but we remain vigilant as the struggle for justice is not complete while these workers still face the threat of deportation. We will continue to fight alongside them until they are allowed to stay, live, and work with dignity.
PROTEKSYON, HINDI DEPORTASYON!
TRABAHO SA PINAS, HINDI SA LABAS!
