HUMAN RIGHT, the first: dignity & health ! Migration as a social phenomenon has always existed and it will exist . BUT, today millions of refugees and migrants flee persecution, armed conflict, poverty or natural disasters in their homeland where they can no longer find safety and security. Tens of thousands finds their way to Europe each year seeking protection and assistance. Due to lack of far-sighted and courageous European and National migration policies - our cities are seeing increasing numbers of migrants surviving in situations of extreme poverty, discrimination and exclusion, with dramatic consequences for health and mental health. This worsening situation has also negative consequences for those who works with migrants, and for local population that lives in permanent contact with them.

Because both  the homeless and the undocumented migrants are denied the fundamental humain right :     to live in dignity and health one's own life in society   Because of the growing number of undocumented migrants in the street: among the local, national and     European homeless, in the European metropolises, there are migrants more and more either accidentally and     temporarily homeless, or in a permanent way, with the risk of chronicisation.   Because of complexity of needs : there are a great similarity between the complexity of     the problems and needs for the ones and others, despite everything the differences given     especially by the ”not belonging” (on the ground, community, culture..)   Because of similarities & differences in survival conditions of Migrants & Homeless: •   poverty, humiliation, shame, despair, the loss of identity, the loss of social links, the need to forget      with alcohol and drug and finally pulsing to make it ended with the life… ; •   undocumented migrants in this un-existential situation joins the our European homeless who are      marginalised & discriminated, rejected & excluded. •  the personal resources of migrants are greater than those of the homeless (resources of health,      culture, courage and desire of success), but they can also be destroyed completely •  another great difference consists of the right of residence linked to the birth and the nationality. Because the same people work for both groups: very often the same workers cover the social and health field     for the homeless and the migrants. Present day lack of any preventive and far-sighted migration as well as social policy in  Europe will result in the continual increase in the number of homeless people in precarious health and social situations. “Homeless migrants” – the majority without a residence permit and therefore considered non-existent - are even deprived of their identity not to speak of the right to health - housing – work. For this reason the migration problem becomes    •   an urgent issue of public health & mental health,    •   a test of civilization and democracy,    •   an opportunity for showing respect of human rights and active solidarity. In the field of immigration, in European Union some countries have a long experience in the immigration area whereas others have only just started developing national policies. But in both, the practitioners of health & mental health care and of social services met more and more migrants with their problems and needs. Despite national differences  in both the nature & severity of the problem, discrimination and exclusion especially concerning “homeless people and migrants”, this epiphenomenon is becoming a structural problem in European society and constitutes a political challenge for Europe. The building of the “European Society / Community” must take place within a framework of respect for human rights, access to citizen’s services of Health & Solidarity, and participation in society.

CONTEXT :  SMES-Europa proposes to deepen the topic “Migration: dignity and health” of the 2nd  session of the 10th European conference SMES (Rome 23-25/01/08), dedicating to it a specific seminar that will be organised in Athens on 2010, concerning especially mental health of undocumented migrants. Due to lack of far-sighted and courageous European and National migration policies - our cities are seeing increasing numbers of migrants, who - having lost any hope -  survives on detention camps or on the streets in situations of extreme poverty, discrimination and exclusion, with dramatic consequences for health and mental health. This worsening situation has also negative consequences for those who works with migrants, and for local population that lives in permanent contact with them.

Detention camps in Europe, 2005   Migrants are coming from many traumatic experiences and circumstances in their    native country, including •   extreme poverty, •   exposure to war,                 •   natural disasters new slavery ! (photos by LL.)     Migrants  in order to support their families are forced to •   submit to all the kinds of pressures and exploitation ,                •   accept all kinds of jobs, even though they may have the training and education for much better ones.   The exploitation of migrant seasonal workers without work permits is a new form    of colonialism and slavery.

Vulnerability : exposure to traumatic conditions in one's own country, coupled with new and local difficulties:     acculturation – integration  …. (in many instances it means: abandonnement of one's own identity in order to be     acceptable) can lead to serious and long-lasting psychological and behavioural problems, including : depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, high risk -  unfortunately not only risk - of suicide.

Join us in preparing and realising the  ATHENS SEMINAR 2010   where we would to propose a mutual learning : sharing juridical, ethical principles and humanistic vision for a new culture of migration, for a  common and global progress in social cohesion for real well-being exchanging efficient daily practices  for welcome, supporting, orienting and accompanying , evaluating in migration policy and action plan the coherence between programs - resources - practices and the real impact in promoting dignity, health and active participation/integration, proposing together some absolute priorities in respect of human right for to live in Dignity and Health and for real and sustainable participative integration. If you would like to participate directly in our initiative, as partners  and/or participants, in preparing the topics - workshops - visits; in organising the seminar, please contact us: