From exile to empowerment: The Story of Chile Democrático and IRMO

Have you ever wondered what happens when a group of people get together to respond to the needs of their community? 

In the early 1980s, thousands of Chileans lived in exile in the UK, having fled the brutal military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. These were teachers, trade unionists, activists, students, and parents — people who had been persecuted for defending democracy and social justice. 

After years of scattered local organising, 289 delegates and supporters from across the UK came together in 1982 for the Primer Encuentro on the Día del Exiliado Chileno (Day of the Exiled). It was the first national gathering of Chilean exiles since arriving in Britain — an emotional and political turning point. 

From this, the organisation Chile Democrático–Gran Bretaña was born.

What was Chile Democrático? 

It became the official representative body of Chilean exiles in the UK, formed to: 

• Promote solidarity among Chileans in exile. 
• Offer welfare and legal support to those facing deportation. 
• Build collective political organisation across cities and regions. 
• Represent exiles at a national level with a democratic structure: local committees, a National Executive, and a National Congress. 
• Defend the rights of asylum seekers and challenge the UK’s tightening immigration laws (especially under the 1979 Conservative government). 

Women played a critical role in shaping the organisation’s solidarity and welfare policies, ensuring gendered experiences of exile were recognised and addressed.

From Chile Democrático to IRMO 

As the Chilean dictatorship ended and global migration patterns shifted, the organisation adapted to meet new waves of Latin American and Indoamerican migration. In the 1990s, it evolved into what we now know as: 

• IRMO — the Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation 

Today, IRMO continues that legacy of self-organised migrant participation, serving a wide, multilingual, and multigenerational community from across Latin America.

What does IRMO do today? 

• Legal advice on immigration, housing, and benefits. 
• Community education: ESOL, employment rights, digital skills. 
• Youth programmes: leadership training, cultural identity support. 
• Campaigning: tackling ethnic invisibility, pushing for ethnic monitoring, and migrant justice.  
• Support for survivors of domestic violence and labour exploitation. 

From political exiles to migrant organisers, IRMO embodies what happens when those affected by injustice lead the response.

Reflection questions 

1. What makes Chile Democrático a powerful example of migrant participation? 
2. How did exile shape the group’s sense of solidarity and structure? 
3. In what ways does IRMO carry that legacy forward today? 
4. What lessons can your community learn from this history?

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