Brussels: an Emmaus meeting on migration
On 7 and 8 December, Emmaus Europe organised a European meeting on migration. Through round tables tracing the different migration routes, 50 participants were able to get a sense of the issues related to receiving migrants in various parts of Europe and find out more about the actions taken by the Emmaus groups on the ground.
After workshops on how Emmaus can advocate and get involved at the European level, the delegation met three Europe Ecology – The Greens (EELV) Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), Damien Carême, Pietro Bartolo and Tineke Strik. They provided an overview of the current stage of negotiations on the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, which many MEPs want to turn into an additional tool for controlling and externalising borders, in order to prevent people from arriving in Europe. They expressed their support for the work of the Emmaus movement, which combines direct assistance to migrants with advocacy and raising public awareness.
This event was an opportunity to reiterate the movement’s shared struggle for freedom of movement and universal citizenship.
We remain active on migration issues, both in Europe and in the rest of the world. A delegation of around twenty representatives from Emmaus groups, across the different regions, will travel to Lisbon on 26 and 27 January for the second meeting of the Migration Alliance. The question on the agenda is: how can we develop dignified welcoming policies with willing mayors and local authorities?
