Search Results for: refugee

Today [17 May], ILGA-Europe launched the 2017 Rainbow Europe package, to coincide with International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT). As ILGA-Europe worked to put together the 2017 Rainbow Europe package, several observations about the current legal and policy landscape in Europe became clear: Progress exists – but it’s slowing down and is at […]

“You first have to close the back door, before you can open the front door”, was the answer by Ann Mettler, Head of the European Political Strategy Centre, on how to ensure legal avenues for low- and medium-skilled workers coming to Europe, asked during our General Assembly on 27 April. The idea that one first […]

COFACE Families Europe and two of its Belgian members Gezinsbond and La Ligue des Familles are jointly organising the conference “Families on the move” that will take place today [12 May] in Brussels from 9 am to 4.30 pm (CET) at the centre of Europe at the Higher Institute for Family Studies-Odisee. The European Commission […]

Anti-migrant political discourses and exclusionary migration policies are having a disproportionate impact on racialised migrants, according to a new report by the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), covering 26 EU countries. Migrants are increasingly the targets of racist violence and speech; and face discriminatory policies and attitudes hindering their access to the labour market. People […]

On 27 April Social Platform members gathered in Brussels for our annual General Assembly, where they elected a new Management Committee (pictured above). The Management Committee is responsible for the administration and the management of Social Platform. It consists on one President, two Vice-Presidents, one Treasurer and three Ordinary Members. Members elected the following people […]

Months later than originally foreseen, at the end of March the European Commission finally published its evaluation of the Facilitators’ Package. The package includes an important piece of legislation that gives Member States the option to sanction individuals or organisations that offer humanitarian assistance to undocumented migrants. This could include the provision of emergency shelter, […]

On 29 March I attended a refreshing one hour debate held by Friends of Europe focusing on the benefits of migrant integration, with a diverse panel of two refugees, a local politician, an EU official and a business sector representative. Jacques Bughin started of by setting the scene with a few figures from McKinsey & […]

As civil society, we are co-responsible for how people see the European Union. I often see “yes, but” as an immediate reaction to any European proposal. The reality is that in the eyes of many, “yes, but” means a clear “no!” Such an attitude rarely helps to build bridges. It’s easy to bash the EU. […]

On 8 March I listen to Abdellbaset Alheeshan, a Syrian refugee who has lived in Belgium for one year. He was invited to a seminar in the European Parliament on equal treatment and rights for migrant workers by the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. Abdellbaset shared his experience of having to wait nine months […]

The European Association for Local Democracy (ALDA) – just like Social Platform – is a beneficiary of funding from the Europe for Citizens programme. On 22 March ALDA invited a group of young people that had benefitted from their projects to the European Parliament. Ms Marıá Teresa Gimevnez Barbat, Member of the European Parliament opened […]