Invitation
to
Associations, Organizations, Institutions
and anyone involved in work
with Migrants and Excluded People
After the 10th
SMES-Europa Conference, Rome (23-25 January 08) which
focused principally on the theme of "Migrants: Dignity
- Health", this topic of migration: dignity and
human right, active
integration and health promotion, continues to be of great interest
and preoccupation to
professionals of the social and health / mental health
sector, working in favour of
marginalized and excluded people.
Undesirability, and its corollary active rejection,
characterizes more and more the policies relating to
migrants (as often the homeless leaving in the street in
extreme situation of poverty and abandonment). The
humanitarian welcome/acceptance and the principle of
solidarity and civic integration remain at level of good
intentions, while exclusion and discrimination feed the
political discourse as well the reactions of citizens.
The punitive measures to control denounced by European
Parliament (2005), continuing to be the main initiatives of
migration policy: “The European Parliament regrets
that so far the measures adopted by the Council and Member
States have been primarily punitive measures to control
migration flows rather than proactive in third countries. It
recalled its view that strategies to reduce poverty, improve
living conditions and working to create jobs and develop
training in countries of origin, contributed to normalising
migration flows in the long term. For the European
Parliament, it is also imperative to take full account of
the potential of immigration in a context of co-development.
In this context, it encourages the integration of migration
in EU foreign policy while recalling that the use of
development aid is not enough to address the root causes of
migration”. (09/06/2005 - EP: non-legislative
resolution)
The ‘illegal’ (so called ...) migrants, and
other marginalized populations, are only the tip of the
iceberg of a social structural phenomenon handled often
inadequately and sometimes inconsistently by the political
class in Europe.
In a way, these other and different, require
us to consider the situation scandalous and untenable.
The
marginal and excluded people: undocumented,
without permit, care, home …less, are
increasingly discriminated against, exploited and often
actively rejected.
In addition, because of their status - so-called illegal -
these people are seen as a threat to public order and
therefore any means, (both administrative and policing) seem
justified to counter this threat.
Undocumented migrants have no other means to protect
themselves but to hide at the risk of remaining without
identity and without social aid rather than risk being
expelled. As a result they remain without any law and are
thus vulnerable to exploitation and arbitrary decisions.
In such a context, is it possible for an NGO and
Association, for a social and health worker, to give meaning
to their work when they are permanently faced with programs
and political decisions which are quite contrary to
fundamental law and professional ethics?
In dealing with the above, SMES-Europa offers a seminar of
perspective and proposition , to be held on 18-20 November
2009 (proposed date) in Malta, which - like the
island of Lampedusa (IT), Island Samos (GR) and the Canary
Islands (SP) - knows the tragedy of illegal landings of all
this human suffering.
The seminar entitled "Invisible Wounds - Dignity
and Vulnerability” should be a forum for exchange of
experiences and reflections as thorough and challenging a
discussion where comparing ideas, opinions, legislations and practices
concerning the participation and integration in respect of
dignity of people and of right in access to health and
social services.
The
ethical - legal - health - social and political answers will
then be investigated.
Further discussion of ways to protect the inalienable right
of every person to dignity, health, including undocumented
migrants will then take place.
SMES-Europa has the pleasure to invite Your Organisation to
participate in promoting, preparing and realising the
European seminar “Invisible Wounds and Vulnerability”,
according to the own possibilities and priorities.
If you are affected in your daily practices by this issue,
we invite you to support this initiative, by
sending us suggestions and proposals based on these
preliminary questions:
-
How to contribute to the right of all people to happiness
by involving professionals and civil society?
-
How to generate a burst of true humanism in the face
of denial or underestimation and of fundamental
human right when public institutions seams - also if in
implicit way - complacent with those who exploit
migrants who are without a residence permit (black
job, rent rooms…)?
-
Is it possible to propose, today in Europe, a culture
of real and concrete solidarity alternative to the
mistrust of poor migrants, seekers of economic
asylum? In what manner can we make pressing to the
public service in order to accompany and support the
solidarity social & health services ?
-
Until when the ‘solidarity ambulatory services’
replace the basic duty of public health system ?
Together with you we should be able to improve the
preparation of seminar, both in terms of content and method:
A. GENERAL THEME: Complex and
multiple are the express and unexpressed needs of migrants
as of homeless. Health and mental health of migrants,
respecting their right to health and a dignified life is not
one of priorities in European migration policies. Various
types of administrative and subjective barriers - concretely
- prevent access to public health and social services.
-
General object
: special attention should be paid to "invisible wounds
- dignity & vulnerability" of
-
Migrants, who are
seen often as “invaders', an attribution to justify
any form of loss of rights, malfeasance and
exploitation...;
-
Workers, who are all
the time faced with the contradictory and
inconsistent regulations in legislation, ethics,
etc.
-
Citizens, which is
kept on alert by fear more than the wish of being
supportive of solidarity and participation
These : migrants – workers – citizens are our targets !
-
Analysis & evaluation:
where the wounds
invisible becomes visible:
i.
Shelters
public and private, squats, detention camps (close),
temporary permanence (open)
ii.
Dispensary:
public & private health services.
iii.
Mobil units – outreach team :
not
all - on the streets - who are in the need, ask for help
!
B. METHOD & OBJECTIVES:
we will organize in divers countries (IT – GR – SP) some
paths /workshops in order
to focus priorities & issues that will be workshop’s
subjects in Malta seminar.
-
Through the exchange of knowledge and practices,
identify and assess
the problems, difficulties (among other
financial) and the proposed solutions and pilot
project.
-
Through studies and analysis to prove
that denying free access for all to health, it
means to increase as well the associated costs
and risk of dissemination of infection.
For this reason will be important to propose a
common declaration and recommendations for free
access to health services for ALL.
-
Develop a humanist vision of these migrants
not only from a utilitarian and pragmatic
perspective. And when necessary to denounce all
the forms of black work and development of a
parallel economic system.
