A message from the Euro-Moroccan Platform for the Berlin Hearing of the PPT and call for solidarity and Europe-wide day of action for the International Day of Migrants on December 18th
We welcome the holding of this Tribunal in Berlin and the theme chosen, namely “The Right to Health and Access to Health Care for Migrants and Refugees”.
After the unprecedented health crisis that we are going through, the issue of health is more crucial than ever. While it has affected all categories of the population without distinction, rich or poor, it has particularly affected those who were already in a vulnerable situation and extreme poverty. We are thinking in particular of migrant workers, undocumented migrants, refugees, vulnerable people and the negative consequences of this crisis on their lives, especially in terms of access to housing, health care or the labour market.
Unfortunately, we have witnessed situations where those who already have nothing find themselves more exposed to the virus, due to overcrowded households, or lack of social distance in transport to their workplace.
As the second wave of the epidemic is now affecting our respective countries, we advocate that European states take the urgent measures necessary to protect the most disadvantaged and vulnerable. Communication and awareness-raising campaigns must be carried out by governments among migrants, asylum seekers and workers in precarious situations. We also call for an impulse of generosity and solidarity in favour of these people and their families.
The time has come to find an alternative and concrete solutions to meet the challenges we face. The time has come to find sustainable alternatives to regularize all undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. Yet the time of doubting has come. The European Pact presented on September 23rd has once again shown us the danger that weighs on the lives of thousands of women and men in an irregular situation or in an extreme poverty.
We hope that the meeting in Berlin will enable civil society to reach a common position on issues related to migration policy. More than before, we need to work together, to stand in unity and to define a comprehensive and coordinated action plan.
Involves in these issues since our creation, the Euro-Moroccan Platform invites all partners to join us and to launch a collective call to our National and European Deputies for them to negotiate a more comprehensive and human Pact, during the talks which will take place in December.
We also call for a European day of action and mobilization all around Europe, on 18th of December. A Preparatory Commission should take place and start to look toward these initiatives. The Platform is ready to actively engage itself with other European partners to organize a collective action.
While the Platform was unable to come to Berlin, we wish to our partners good luck for the three days meetings in Berlin and the for the preparation of the Tunis Tribunal. We also wish that our call for joint action and our support toward the PPT will be shared during Berlin.
Abdou Menebhi, President of Emcemo and Secretary of the Euro-Moroccan Platform