News

On September 23 Social Platform will meet with Commissioner Malmström, Home Affairs to present the main demands of our position paper on Migration.

The delegation will consist of a small representation of member organisations (together with our President Heather Roy, Director Pierre Baussand and responsible Policy Officer Annica Ryngbeck).

We will discuss with the Comissioner some of our key recommendations regarding barriers to migrants fundamental rights, such as:

• Practical, administrative and legal obstacles combined with exclusionary practices often prevent migrants, in particular undocumented migrants, from accessing essential basic services such as health care – which is likely to further increase the number of migrants living in poverty and extreme poverty.
• Migrants’ labour market potential is hindered because many fall into undeclared and irregular work with precarious working conditions and are as such also not acquiring social security rights or building up a pension.
• Participation in public and political life is an important element to integration. Migrant associations and civil society organisations, including migrant women’s organisations, have a key role to play in contributing to the European migration and integration policy debate.
• There is a small but significant proportion of EU citizens for whom moving to another member state has become a poverty trap. They are destitute and face difficulties in accessing the right support. Their vulnerable situation is closely linked to EU policies and legislation in the area of free movement of citizens as well as internal migration law and its interpretation at national level.