Homeless In A Foreign Country

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Homeless In A Foreign Country

• Presentation to the European Research Conference
  on Homelessness and PovertyParis, 18 Sept. 2009

2
Plan

• What is the Jesuit Refugee Service?
• The ANDES project
• Definitions
• The vicious circle (No) Residence status
  States policy - poverty homelessness
• Special vulnerability of forced migrants
• Homelessness and poverty Results of States
  policy!
• Homelessness and poverty Human rights violations
• Conclusions

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• What is the Jesuit Refugee Service?
• The Jesuit Refugee Service is an international
  Catholic organization.
• Its mission is to accompany, to serve and to
  plead the cause of refugees and forcibly
  displaced people.
• The JRS was set up by the Society of Jesus in
  1980 and is now working over 50 countries
  worldwide.
• JRS works with all refugees but has a particular
  concern for the "forgotten" refugees who have
  moved out of the media spotlight.

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• The ANDES Project
• Advocacy Network on Destitution
• Update a study published in 2007
• Organise national events in several EU Member
  States
• Organise a European Conference in 2010
• ? Create a European network on behalf of
  destitutes
• ? Invitation to participate!

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Definitions

• Forced migrants  
• Migrant A person who is living in a country
  without holding this countrys citizenship.
• Forced The person can not return to the country
  of origin because of
• Danger of political persecution or other human
  rights violations.
• Lack of travel documents.
• Lack of transport possibilities.
• .

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• Consequence

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Definitions

• Destitution - Elements  
• (1)   The lack of means Destitution describes
  lacking the means to meet basic needs of shelter,
  warmth, food, water and health. (Lewis 2007) 
• (2)   The consequence of a States policy Laws
  and/or official authorities practices more or
  less systematically exclude certain groups of
  migrants because of their (lack of) residence
  status from access to services granted to
  citizens and other groups of migrants.
• (3)   No perspective of breaking the vicious
  circle in the near future

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The vicious circle

•  
•  
•  
•  
•  

States policy
No possibility to meet basic needs ? homelessness
(No or wrong) Residence status
Poverty
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Case example I Portugal

• I have been sleeping in an abandoned car during
  the night. I was begging on the streets for food.
  My biggest fear is to end up at the streets
  again. (Male irregular migrant from Morocco, 18
  years old)
• Rejected asylum seekers, third-country nationals
  who overstay their health visa and irregular
  migrants have no entitlements to public housing
  nor receive financial support to rent private
  accommodation.
• Support for housing is terminated if asylum
  seekers are in the appeals phase of the asylum
  procedure.
• Holders of a health visa have to provide housing
  for themselves.

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Case example II Italy

• On 2 July 2009 the Italian Senate passed into law
  a new Security Bill.
• In accordance to the new law those who rent a
  house or rooms to foreigners who, at the date of
  conclusion or renewal of the contract, do not
  regularly stay in the Italian Republic risk 6
  months to 3 years imprisonment.

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Special vulnerability of homeless forced migrants

• No possibility of return to country of origin.
• Living in a foreign country.
• Language problems.
• Cultural problems.
• Xenophobia.
• If no residence status Claiming of benefits from
  authorities ? Danger of detention and
  deportation.
• (Private) Assistance to a destitute migrant ?
  crime?

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Homelessness Poverty Consequence of States
policy!

• Laws and/or official authorities practices more
  or less systematically exclude certain groups of
  migrants because of their (lack of) residence
  status from access to services granted to
  citizens and other groups of migrants.
• Examples
• No access to labour market ? No possibility to
  earn money for living ? Poverty.
• Reduction or complete withdrawal of social
  assistance ? Poverty.

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Homelessness Poverty Consequence of States
policy!

• Poverty ? No means for rents in private housing
  sector
• Exclusion from access to State housing
  Poverty( Criminalisation of private
  assistance)--------------------------------------
  --------------- Homelessness

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Homelessness Poverty A Human Rights Violation!

• International Covenant on Economic, Social and
  Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
• Art. 2 2 Non-discrimination rule
• Art. 11 1 Right of everyone to an adequate
  standard of living for himself and his family,
  including adequate food, clothing and housing.

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Homelessness Poverty A Human Rights Violation!

• European Convention for the Protection of Human
  Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR)
• Art. 14 Non-discrimination rule
• Art. 1 1 Twelfth Protocol Every right
  guaranteed by law must be enjoyable without
  discrimination.

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Conclusion

• In the cases of forced migrants homelessness and
  poverty are closely linked.
• Forced migrants are especially vulnerable because
  they live in a foreign country.
• The vicious circle of destitution for forced
  migrants is not a destiny but a consequence of
  human rights violations committed by States.
• Lets combine forces for denouncing these human
  rights violations!

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Thank you for your attention!