PICUM's Main Concerns About the Fundamental Rights Of
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PICUM’s Main Concerns 2009 about the Fundamental Rights of Undocumented Migrants in Europe London, UK, March 27, 2009 This report pieces together a year of European, national and local news issues on irregular migration to foster a better understanding of the main concerns of human rights of undocumented migrants as well as the multifaceted ways in which civil society throughout Europe is responding to this situation of social exclusion. It is based on a review of events reported in PICUM’s newsletter during the year 2008. This project has received funding from the European Community under the Daphne III program. The information is the sole responsibility of the author, and the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. This report was made possible with the generous support of: By Eve Geddie, Program Officer, and Michele LeVoy, Director PICUM Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants Gaucheretstraat 164 1030 Brussels Belgium Tel: +32/2/274.14.39 Fax: +32/2/274.14.48 [email protected] www.picum.org October 2009 Layout: beëlzepub • Brussels • www.beelzepub.com Table of contents Forward: Monitoring and Reporting in PICUM’s Monthly Newsletter .............................................................................................. 5 A. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7 B. European Union Policy Developments in the Fight Against Irregular Migration ................................................ 10 1. Externalising the Control of Europe’s Borders ................................................................................................................................................................... 10 2. Deaths at the Border ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 3. European Pact on Immigration and Asylum ........................................................................................................................................................................ 16 4. Returns Directive .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 5. Employers’ Sanctions Directive ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18 C. The Impact of Restrictive Migration Policies on the Fundamental Rights of Undocumented Migrants ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20 1. Health Care .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................20 2. Fair Working Conditions .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................22 3. Housing ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................24 4. Undocumented Children ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................24 5. Undocumented Women ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................29 6. Family Life ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................31 7. Forced Destitution ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................32 8. Detention ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................34 9. Criminalization of Undocumented Migrants and Their Advocates ............................................................................................................ 41 10. Civil Society Responses ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................45 D. Institutional Recognition of Undocumented Migrants’ Human Rights by International Bodies ................... 48 1. United Nations .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................48 2. Council of Europe ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................52 3. European Union .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................53 E.Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................55 “The world, its continents, oceans and poles now face important global difficulties: global warming, contamination; the slow but certain disappearance of energy resources and of biodiversity; while hunger and poverty increase in all countries, weakening our societies. To make immigrants, documented or not, the scapegoats of these global problems, is not a solution. It does not correspond to any reality. The problems of social cohesion that Europe suffer are not the fault of immigrants, but are the result of the development model imposed by the north, which destroys the planet and dismembers human societies”.1 Open letter sent by Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma ahead of the ratification of the European Union’s “Return Directive” on 18 June 2008 1 Evo Morales Ayma, “Carta abierta de Evo Morales a propósito de la ‘directiva retorno’ de la UE”, 10 June 2008, English translation available online at http://www.no-fortress-europe.eu/showPage.jsp?ID=2912&LANG=1&ISSUE=0&POPUP=0. PICUM’s Main Concerns about the Fundamental Rights of Undocumented Migrants in Europe 2009 5 Forward: Monitoring and Reporting in PICUM’s Monthly Newsletter Monitoring and reporting on the situation of reliable data was urgently needed by organizations undocumented migrants is a key task of PICUM. working in the field as well as other actors involved Since its foundation, PICUM’s network has actively in policy development, research and social support. sought to improve understanding of the need to protect undocumented migrants by bringing The populist view that those without a valid permit visibility to the adverse effects current migration are ‘illegal’ migrants in violation of the law and control policies have upon the realisation of their not warranting its protection is a stark contrast innate dignity and rights. to the grim reality of inhumane living conditions, de facto exploitation and impunity. For PICUM, The 1999 Tampere agreement confirmed the this discrepancy highlighted the urgent need for EU member states’ commitment to a common an information source to bridge this gap. The immigration and asylum policy which encompassed overarching fear characterising undocumented migration management, external border controls migrants’ situation and the alarming tendency and deterrence of irregular migrants. Many among authorities to criminalize civil society organizations working with undocumented assistance has meant that the daily violations migrants at the local and national level feared perpetrated against undocumented