migrants_&_homeless

CONTEXT: in European metropolis the phenomenon of homeless people are more and more visible and, recently, it is growing the number of migrants between the homeless, having lost any hope, who survives in shelters, squats, detention camps or on the streets in situations of extreme poverty, discrimination and exclusion, with dramatic consequences for health and mental health.

SMES-Europa, has already proposed this topic for last 10th conference (Rome 23-25/01/2008), 'Migrants - Health & Dignity: integration & participation in citizenship' but following the particular interest among the participants and workers in this field and especially in reason of increasing of social and health problems linked with the social phenomenon of migrants homeless on the streets, on the shelters and on the detention and passage camps, we proposes to deepen this theme Health and Dignity of Migrants and to dedicate a specific seminar that will be organised in Malta on 2009.

Daily practice without reflection, discussion, evaluation and proposals of absolute priorities runs the risk of being reduced to the individual charitable assistance, without a real impact in social and health policy.

MENTAL HEALTH - SOCIAL EXCLUSION and MIGRANTS : excepting some obvious differences main characteristics are common to migrants and homeless (European and international, with or without documents) who are in situation of severe exclusion :

a) subjective characteristics

· extreme poverty, precariousness and vulnerability;

· unbelonging, loss of personal identity;

· complexity of social, sanitary and psychic needs;

· trauma and loss, surviving without hope for the future;

· failure and loneliness

b) objective characteristics

· stigma and discrimination, inadequate response to person with the complex needs;

· myopia of migration policy;

· submission to the requirements of the labor 'market' – whether in regular or black job;

· absolute lack of positive awareness and involvement of the civil society;

· incoherence of legislations with fundamental rights, humanism, ethic;

· selective picture presented by media, almost exclusively focusing on the awful and scandalous;

UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS cf new slavery !