Who we are

We are a network of organisations working
to ensure social justice
and human rights for undocumented migrants.

What we want

We seek a world where human mobility is recognised as a normal reality, and where all people are guaranteed their human rights and have a dignified standard of living, regardless of migration status.

How we work

With our network and partners, we research and advocate for evidence-based, holistic and humane responses to the realities of undocumented migrants and to people who want to come to Europe to work or for other reasons. We provide a platform to engage policy-makers and the public at the international, European, national, and local levels.

Our work is grounded in principles and values of social justice, anti-racism and equality.

We apply an intersectional lens to our work, recognising overlapping systems of oppression that affect people with insecure residence status, and are committed to strengthening participation of people with lived experience in our work.”

© Katja Tähjä
Michele LeVoy Director

Michele LeVoy

Director

As Director of PICUM, Michele has led the organization for nearly two decades in advocating for undocumented migrants’ human rights towards European and global institutions. Michele has played a key role as board member for several civil society organisations at the global and EU levels. She holds degrees in French, Justice and Peace Studies and a Master in Applied Sciences (Housing and Development).

Languages: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish as well as some Dutch and Italian.

Alyna C. Smith
Alyna C. Smith Deputy Director
Alyna C. Smith

Alyna C. Smith

Deputy Director

Alyna joined PICUM in 2015. Until 2021, she led PICUM’s advocacy on access to health care and access to justice for undocumented people. Alyna has a background in law, bioethics, and the life sciences.

Languages: English, French, Spanish

Paul Geeraerts Financial Director

Paul Geeraerts

Financial Director

Paul joined PICUM in 2010. He previously worked in finance and administration for Avocats sans Frontières, the Planned Parenthood Federation and Warner-Lambert. He holds a degree in accounting and fiscal law.

Languages: Dutch, French and English

Orsolya Nemeth-Kilinc Project and Finance Officer

Orsolya Nemeth-Kilinc

Project and Finance Officer

Orsolya joined PICUM in June 2023. She previously worked in finance and administration for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Hungary and Malta. She holds degrees in International Business Administration and Masters in International Relations and Cultural Studies.

Languages: English, French, Hungarian, Turkish

Lilana Keith Senior Advocacy Officer
Labour rights and labour migration

Lilana Keith

Senior Advocacy OfficerLabour rights and labour migration

Lilana joined PICUM in 2011. She has been involved in work to advance migrants’ rights since 2009, including through community development and funding. She has an academic background in international and European migration law and policy and anthropology. She is Vice-Chair of the Board of Statewatch.

Languages: English, French

Laetitia Van der Vennet Senior Advocacy Officer
Children, Families and Youth
Regularisation

Laetitia Van der Vennet

Senior Advocacy OfficerChildren, Families and YouthRegularisation
Laetitia joined PICUM in 2019. She has worked on human rights and migration on the national and global level since 2010. Laetitia has degrees in psychology, anthropology and conflict and development studies and was a Rotary Peace Fellow at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and a Munk Fellow in Global Journalism at the University of Toronto, Canada.

Languages: English, French, Dutch

Marta Gionco Senior Advocacy Officer
Migration Policy

Marta Gionco

Senior Advocacy OfficerMigration Policy

Marta joined PICUM in 2019. She previously worked on migration and access to social protection for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and on human rights defenders protection for the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). She holds a Master in Laws and a MSc in Migration, Mobility and Development.

Languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian

Louise Bonneau Advocacy Officer
Access to Justice, Racial Equality and Health

Louise Bonneau

Advocacy OfficerAccess to Justice, Racial Equality and Health

Louise joined PICUM in January 2023. She has worked for the European Commission and various civil society organisations in the field of human rights and social inclusion of persons with disabilities, people with a migrant and Roma background, and children. She holds an MSc and LLM in migration and asylum.

Languages: English, French and Dutch

Silvia Carta Advocacy Officer

Silvia Carta

Advocacy Officer

Silvia joined PICUM in October 2022. She previously worked on migration and asylum policy in a Brussels-based think tank, at the European Parliament, and at the UN Refugee Agency. She has a background in International Relations and Human Rights Governance, and she holds an LL.M. in EU Law.

Languages: Italian, English and French

Chiara Catelli Policy Officer (PICUM/ECRE)

Chiara Catelli

Policy Officer (PICUM/ECRE)

Chiara joined PICUM and ECRE in May 2022. She previously worked on asylum, migration and human rights policy in the European Parliament, the European Commission and the UN Refugee Agency. She has a background in Political Science and International Relations, including a Master Degree in Conflicts and Development.

Languages: Italian, French, English and some Spanish

Imanol Legarda Project Officer

Imanol Legarda

Project Officer

Imanol joined PICUM in 2023. He previously worked for Human Rights organizations in different countries, mostly on migration and gender and sexual diversity. His academic background focuses on communication and international cooperation.

Languages: Basque, Spanish, English, Italian and some French and German.

Davide Gnes Project Officer

Davide Gnes

Project Officer

Davide joined PICUM in 2023. Davide has previously worked on migration as an academic researcher and as policy officer for various civil society organisations.  He holds a PhD in political science and an interdisciplinary MSc in migration studies from the University of Amsterdam. 

Languages: English, Italian, French, some Dutch and Spanish 

Gianluca Cesaro Communications Officer

Gianluca Cesaro

Communications Officer

Gianluca joined PICUM in 2019. He previously worked in campaigns and communications for Fair Trials, and other Brussels-based NGOs. Gianluca has an academic background in political and social sciences, including a Master Degree in Human Rights.

Languages: Italian, English, French.

Chloë Bouvier Multimedia Officer

Chloë Bouvier

Multimedia Officer

Chloë joined PICUM in 2020. She previously worked in the communications team for the European Development Days (EDD) 2019. She also has experiences in organising and promoting cultural events. Chloë holds a Master’s degree in Communications.

Languages: English, French, and some Spanish.

Irene Subiri Administration and Events Manager

Irene Subiri

Administration and Events Manager

Irene joined PICUM in July 2018. She previously worked in IT companies leading projects of implementation & integration of online solutions, events management and also volunteered in marketing & online strategies in RDT India. Irene studied Business & Management of Touristic Companies and holds a master in Events Management.

Languages: Spanish and English

Jan Knockaert Chair

Jan Knockaert

Chair

Jan Knockaert is the Director of FAIRWORK Belgium. The organisation advocates for the rights of migrant workers with a precarious residence status, and supports them through providing information about their rights, and assisting them in enforcing these rights.

Didier Vanderslycke Treasurer

Didier Vanderslycke

Treasurer

Didier Vanderslycke coordinates ORBIT vzw. He is a trained social worker and priest of the diocese of Antwerp. Didier Vanderslycke is also Chair of PICUM’s member Organisation for Undocumented Workers (OR.C.A.). ORBIT is a Belgian organisation working to promote diversity and fair migration through publications, actions and campaigns, education and debates.

Teresa De Gasperis Board Member

Teresa De Gasperis

Board Member

Teresa De Gasperis is the anti-trafficking Programme Manager at the Spanish NGO
Accem. She is also a focal point for different platforms and networks at national, EU and
international levels, as well as manager of EU-funded projects.

Magda Faltová Board Member

Magda Faltová

Board Member

Magda Faltová is the Director of the Association for Integration and Migration (SIMI) in Czechia. SIMI provides free legal, social and psychological counselling to migrants and engages with the general public to promote tolerance and fight xenophobia and racism.

András Kováts Board Member

András Kováts

Board Member

András Kováts is the Director of Menedék, the Hungarian Association for Migrants. Menedék promotes the social integration of migrants and refugees in Hungary, organises trainings for professionals who deal with migrants in the course of their work, and leads various educational and cultural projects to build a bridge between migrants and the general public in order to foster tolerance.

Nazek Ramadan Board Member

Nazek Ramadan

Board Member

Nazek Ramadan is the Executive Director of Migrant Voice. From a migrant background herself, she has over 30 years of experience working with migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and ethnic minorities in the UK focusing on promoting their voice and representation in the media and on policy platforms.

Moussa Sangaré Board Member

Moussa Sangaré

Board Member

Moussa Sangaré is the President and coordinator of the Ivorian community in Greece. Board member at the Greek Forum of Refugees, a network supporting refugees, migrants, stateless persons and asylum seekers based in  Greece. He is a passionate advocate for human rights and justice, aiming to raise refugees’ and migrants’ voices at the local, national and international levels.

Adam Weiss Board Member

Adam Weiss

Board Member

Adam Weiss is Head of Oceans at the environmental NGO ClientEarth, working with teams fighting overfishing, useless plastic, and chemical pollution. He is an experienced litigator, having worked with NGOs (including the AIRE Centre and the European Roma Rights Centre) to uphold migrants’ rights and the rights of ethnic minorities under the European Convention on Human Rights and EU law. He is also on the board of FLEX (Focus on Labour Exploitation).

Franck Düvell Senior Advisor to the Board

Franck Düvell

Senior Advisor to the Board

Franck Düvell is a Senior Researcher at Universität Osnabrück, Germany, and has extensive knowledge and research background on irregular migration within the European context.

George Joseph Senior Advisor to the Board

George Joseph

Senior Advisor to the Board

George Joseph is the Managing Director of Caritas Sweden. Caritas Sweden defends the human rights of migrants and refugees and acts for a humane refugee policy. It also provides practical support and assistance to irregular migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and victims of trafficking in human beings.

PICUM has 158 members
who work on ensuring
human rights of
undocumented migrants.

More about our members

Funders

We receive financial contributions from a variety of supporters to be able to operate. These include private foundations, international organisations and member organisations. Our members contribute to its funding through the payment of membership fees. We also receive generous in-kind contributions and pro bono advice from a variety of professionals.