On Friday, FEANTSA published a joint civil society statement calling for the protection of the rights of destitute mobile EU citizens. Eurodiaconia contributed to the development of the statement and as a cosignatory endorses the recommendations put forward to the European Commission. The plight of destitute mobile EU citizens is something that many of our members are engaged with and earlier this year Eurodiaconia published an updated policy paper on the issue.
The timing of this joint statement comes in advance of a new Communication, being prepared by the European Commission, on Directive 2004/38 on the rights of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the EU. The Communication will seek to clarify how the Directive should be interpreted and transposed by member states. Therefore, it provides a key advocacy opportunity to challenge the misinterpretation of this crucial piece of EU legislation at the national level.
There are many factors that lead to destitution among mobile EU citizens including precarious labour, homelessness, human trafficking and a lack of access to healthcare. These factors are all exacerbated by the misinterpretation and uneven application of EU legislation, guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens, at the national level. Together, civil society actors across Europe are calling for a response from the Commission that respects the rights of all EU citizens and that lowers the barriers currently preventing people from freely enjoying these rights.
You can read the statement in full and add your signature in support of destitute mobile EU citizens here.