According to the UN 3,771 women, children and men died trying to make it into Europe in 2015. In 2016 this figure rose to over 5,000 people. These catastrophic numbers of deaths continue to rise whilst the migration policies of European leaders become increasingly severe.
For those men and women who have had to flee from their countries and take the road of exile when they eventually make it to Europe they are confronted with the sombre reality of retention centres, deportations and violations of their fundamental rights.
Several texts guarantee protection for people who leave their countries for political or economic reasons, such as article 13 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (which France has still not ratified).
This is why the Emmaus movement has launched the ARTICLE 13 campaign for freedom of movement.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Freedom of Movement (Article 13)
Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.
Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
In this petition we are denouncing the unacceptable and inhumane management of migrations which are currently seen only from a security/criminality perspective. We demand the following:
- The implementation of freedom and movement and of residence with safe passages to cross borders as well as the ratification of the UN Convention of 1990 on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families
- That a new international treaty on the rights of migrants be drawn up under the auspices of the UN. This new treaty would remove the need for visas between signatory countries and would also create a new international body that would work on the topic of migrations - a new structure that would also include civil society
- Reassigning the finances allocated to militarising and adding extra security to borders, instead using these funds for measures for dignified welcome and support for migrant people
- A major national conference on migrations that would include stakeholders from civil society in order to create a policy that respects France’s commitments to welcome and to respect human rights
- An end to the confinement, repression and criminalising of both migrants and the citizens and associations that come to their aid