The European Summit of Refugees and Migrants

Article written by Anila Noor and Shaza Al Rihawi (Global Refugee Led Network & New Women Connectors).

Refugees and migrants are viewed as passive recipients of policy. In Brussels, they are classified as incapable of offering reasonable solutions and unable to serve as experts of their situation despite their lived experience of this reality. To change and challenge this perception, 60 refugee and migrant leaders from the 28 EU member states gathered in Brussels on 4-6 May 2019 for the first-ever European Summit of Refugees and Migrants. After two days of working together to develop policy proposals, they were joined by over 40 delegates from INGOs, the private sector, academia, EU institutions, UNHCR and foundations to discuss and exchange views on key issues.

The summit brought together refugee and migrant led organisations to plan and coordinate their efforts and influence the European policy agenda as new and active EU citizens. With the topic of migration inclusion dominating the political debates in many member states, this summit was deliberately scheduled before the European Parliament elections. The summit idea stemmed from three new refugees: Mohamed Badran, Shaza Al Rihawi and Anila Noor, whose experience of policy advocacy has often been one of tokenisation: “It’s not that refugees are completely excluded from the Brussels policy arena; we are often invited to events and conferences but only to tell stories of our miserable existence, so our saviours can plan, pilot and practice policy solutions that continue to be questioned for being inefficient or inconsistent. They love our stories on the boat and how it bluffed the fortune to sail through, but do not appreciate the idea of refugees offering policy propositions that can reshape their futures. The process somewhat excludes the actual concerns of migrants/refugees despite the cherished slogans of inclusive and participatory processes.”

Self-representation is a main challenge for refugee and migrant led organisations due to a lack of opportunities, networks and readiness of other stakeholders to partner with them. This summit drafted recommendations for improving migration policies in five thematic areas: civic engagement, health & wellbeing, education, protection, agency & participation. For migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Europe, access to protection is the prerequisite for further inclusion and participation in the host societies. While the CEAS aims to harmonise EU standards, large differences persist between EU countries with 12 regard to asylum procedures and access to protection. Migrants and refugees therefore face numerous challenges, such as barriers to accessing legal information. This leads to a lack of knowledge on their procedural rights, which can be particularly challenging for those with specific needs (women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, as well as LGBTQI). Moreover, employment and education are extremely valuable for the integration of refugees and migrants into the host society and are also beneficial for governments, employers, and other stakeholders. The numerous obstacles in accessing such opportunities, including discrimination, racism and xenophobia, need to be tackled head-on. The health and wellbeing of migrants and refugees are also crucial for their inclusion and participation in society. It is therefore indispensable to open up health care systems to migrant communities by, for instance, guaranteeing equal access for both documented and undocumented migrants. Finally, advocating effectively in national and regional dialogues requires sustainable resources and time to develop collective policy positions as well as access to advocacy opportunities.