No, to the European Union “Return Directive”!
For the people's integration!
On June 18th, the European Union approved the “Return Directive”, popularly known as the “Directive of Shame.” This new law, sets out rules for expelling illegal immigrants and extending their detention time to up to 18 months. Young children may also be detained for a “short” period, and immigrants may be arrested and expelled from the country by a simple administrative action.
Nevertheless, Europe has forgotten that in the past, when the industrial crisis triggered by capitalism destroyed that continent and caused misery among a wide section of the working class and the peasants, millions of their children were forced to migrate, and they were well received in their countries of destination. Latin America opened its arms and received thousands and thousands of European immigrants in search of a better life for themselves and their families.
Today, Europe is once again in crisis, and the Asian, African and Latin American immigrants are bearing the brunt of all its fury, arrogance and intolerance. Once more, it is the immigrants who are the scapegoats of the crisis. Although they are necessary for the most difficult and unpleasant jobs that Europeans no longer want to do, the immigrants continue to be unwelcome, and suffer all kinds of prejudices and humiliation, typical of a racist mentality that is completely incapable of considering the human dignity of the millions of these human beings.
Europe also easily forgets that the reason millions of Africans, Asians and Latin Americans have to migrate, is to search for the livelihoods that they cannot find in their countries. It also forgets about the many centuries it subjected all these continents to colonialism, and it continues to express this attitude today in the relations it has with our countries, despite the change in political regimes. It forgets that the many decades of privatisation of public services, liberalisation, free trade, destruction of the farming community, external debt servicing, etc., have resulted in making the economies of the so-called Global South extremely vulnerable, forcing millions to migrate. Europe shares a part of the responsibility, by its economic arrogance and its exhaustion of the economies of the countries from which the bulk of immigrants searching for a way to enter the European continent come.
The Return Directive is an insult to human rights, cultural diversity and inter-cultural dialogue. The Cry of the Excluded - which from its inception, has denounced all kinds of exclusion, prejudice, and xenophobia – will protests its vehement disapproval of this European Union Directive of Shame , and will propose the Universal Citizenship and integration of Peoples in the place of this directive.
Contrary to the Return Directive, The Cry of the Excluded defends:
Universal citizenship; which means that people's human condition constitutes the very foundation of their right to citizenship, and not their national origin. Universal Citizenship is a necessity for life, in which, everyone who arrives in a new country, is guaranteed the rights inherent to the citizen's condition (economic, social and cultural); regardless of their nationality.
The guarantee of human rights in all societies, regardless of the administrative situation of the immigrant. No human being should be called “illegal” because they have migrated.
The non-criminalisation of immigrants without legal papers. Persons have to travel without papers, precisely because of the refusal of the immigration authorities of the countries of origin and destination to guarantee adequate conditions, so that persons migrating can do so in full security and not risk dying in the process.
The guaranteed free movement for all immigrants; who should not have to hide like criminals.
To sum up, the Cry of the Excluded is demanding the immediate cancellation of the “Return Directive”, and is requesting that the European Parliament and national governments of the European Union develop immigration policies based on full respect of human rights, as once more, integration is necessary and urgent.
Cry of those Excluded from Europe
For Work, Justice and Life!
July 2008