To contact and write us: europeanmigrationscoreteam@gmail.com P 1

EUROPEAN CLC MIGRATION NETWORK

EUROPEAN MIGRATION NETWORK 1. NEWSLETTER Sept. 2018

Dear members of the Migration Network, dear members of the National Executive Counsels, we apologize for the retard of informations to all of you, but now we will speed up our tasks, which are:

- to spread informations of service for migrants, best practice examples, formation offers, projects for and with migrants, practically lived advocacy

- to build up a network among all partner-communities that can react spontaneously (within 5 days) by signing petitions, writing letters, giving a statement publicly and so on (So far there are 12 communities)

- to develop and undertake CLC-projects, ideally together with one or more CLC-communities (like the ATF – “At the Frontiers with asylumseekers” -project)

Your support:

• Please, send us reports of your own work and ideas, we will definitely answer each of them. (Our e-mail address: europeanmigrationscoreteam@gmail.com ). Thank you Luxembourg, Germany, Poland for your contributions !

• Also important: Tell us, if somebody else wants to join our mailing list! Keep in evidence or create your own mailing list in your language to be able to involve more supporters instantly. Tell us, too, your expectations of Migration Core Team!

Technical challenges: This first Newsletter is not easily read, because it is too long, we know. Next one

will have another outfit and will be more inviting to be read!

Personnel:

We want to thank Spanish CLC, and particularly Maria Morales for the great and heavy work done from 2015 to 2017 as coordinator of the network on behalf of the Spanish CLC Community. Now her mandate from CLC Spain has ended. Helena Trigueros is following her – Helena, we welcome you cordially and enjoy to work together with you! Karl Jurik also supports the team as he is part of the Migration Team in Austrian CLC and has got the mandate of them.

To contact and write us: europeanmigrationscoreteam@gmail.com P 2

EUROPEAN CLC MIGRATION NETWORK

Best practices from our communities: With our bulletin we would like to share the European best practices.

Luxembourg : Last year in December CLC Luxembourg in partnership with Caritas and the diocese opened a “Day-Care Center” for those asylum seekers who are in “Dublin-procedure”, meaning that Luxemburg will send them back to the EU country responsible for their procedure according to Dublin rules. One professional together with 12 volunteers, of whom 4 CLC members, offer each afternoon an open space to have a cup of tea, to play cards, to share life stories, discuss asylum policy and have sports and other common outdoor activities. The aim is to strengthen them in their dignity and hope, as individuals but also as part of a community. The name of this Center is Caravanserail Ubuntu which means a place to rest for a while, where everyone is strengthened in his humanity. So far more than 200 mainly young persons, many of whom have already disappeared or were sent back to the countries of first entrance.

For a better service, beyond the short stay in Luxemburg, it would be precious to have information about NGOs in other EU countries caring for “Dublin returnees”. Please inform Agnès Rausch und Andrew Vernyuy Ndzebir, Project Manager (andrew_vernyuy@yahoo.fr; WHATSAPP + 352 691 690 365).

CVX-Luxembourg together with Jesuits, Caritas, Commission for Justice and Peace and a diocesan initiative “Reach a Hand“ worked out 8 proposals for the political parties to improve the asylum-policy in Luxembourg. Elections will take place in October 2018. (Find more at www.reech-eng-hand.lu) and we follow closely the programs of the different parties.

1. One single immigration authority with a competent reference person for each asylum seeker 2. Digital cards to replace identity sheets (pink) and obsolete vouchers 3. Coherent lodging system: first reception centers, small scale reception centers for asylum

seekers , private housing for the recognized refugees, return and not retention centers 4. Promoted of integration to the labor market. 5. An improved framework for the reception of unaccompanied minors. 6. More legal channels for entry into the country to combat traffickers and illegal entrance 7. Facilitate access to nationality for older refugees. 8. Legalize the situation of persons on a case-by-case basis after an extended stay, to put an end

to the situation of clandestinity and vulnerability of persons, who cannot be returned.

To contact and write us: europeanmigrationscoreteam@gmail.com P 3

EUROPEAN CLC MIGRATION NETWORK

Holiday 2018 with young refugees After our good holiday experience in 2017 with 37 unaccompanied minors we organized again holidays from 3 to 11 August 2018, uniting 14 youngsters from 10 different nationalities, 4 young volunteers from France, Italy, Poland and Luxemburg + 2 members of CLC-Luxemburg. French, english, Arabic and Tigrinya ere our communication languages! Caritas holiday service was our partner for the management side of the project. We rented 4 tourist apartments and enjoyed together biking, swimming, football playing, barbecue in the vineyards etc. but also reflecting and sharing each day on one important human value. In the evening other CLC members joined for cooking delicious meals.

Actually, our ignatian migration group is reflecting on its future and its participation to JRS network,

having in mind a greater service of our friends, the forced migrants.

Agnès

Austria :

There is a monthly prayer impulse to the topic on CLC-Website. We are preparing transnational online-

spiritual exercises for 2019 together with Migration Network of Germany.

6 asylum seekers could be employed in old peoples home according to law: 20 hours per month.

One approved refugee was employed as sailor-apprentice. Trauma-treatment has been offered to 3-5

clients ; language-studies with refugees of Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria are being continued.

2 Syrian, Christian approved refugees found admission in a CLC-group. They had already been in CLC in

Syria.

The Migration Working Group made a survey of personal escape-experiences in family or former

generations. Also a survey of who does what in terms of migration within CLC Austria was launched.

To contact and write us: europeanmigrationscoreteam@gmail.com P 4

EUROPEAN CLC MIGRATION NETWORK

We started a public campaign together with other volunteers by writing an open letter to the regional

mayors, to the district-government of Upper-Austria and the main newspapers in order to remind

politicians on their obligation to follow international and Austrian laws in answering the applications for

asylum.

Ulrich

Poland :

CLC Poland has set up a 'Migration Network'. There is close cooperation with the Jesuit Community

Centre in Warsaw. And: There is full support of the Executive Board of CLC Poland.

We created a tab called 'Migration' on CLC Poland website in the section of apostolic engagements:

http://www.wzch.org.pl/dzialalnosc/migracje. One of us is translating the materials we got from CLC

Spain on 'Hospitality Culture'.

We are planning an open meeting of CLC Poland on migrations - jointly with the Jesuit Community

Centre. We have shared the experience of taking part in the Migration Network meeting in Barcelona in

two ways: By the CLC Poland newsletter and in our yearly summer seminar.

We would like to encourage more people to join our network and / or open their hearts to migrants. But

we think there is much to do at the level of raising awareness and developing sensitivity to the reality of

migrations.

Kasia

Germany :

In March this year there was a network-meeting with the issue, how migration can become a mission

for CLC-Germany. Two Austrian CLCers joined the meeting. Since that time a plan is put into practice:

The “Open Network Migration” has been founded which invites CLCers and JRS and even people outside

the Ignatian family. It will also be visible at the National CLC-Website.

to raise awareness for the reality of migrants the theme has been brought into the National ExCo and

will be present at this year´s National Assembly

There is a survey within the CLC about who is already working with or for migrants in order to

connect the experienced and to strengthen resources

Next Network-meeting is already planned for the weekend Nov. 22-24th in 2019 (more information

next newsletter!)

Online spiritual exercises every day will be organized by and offered from Migration Network Germany

and Migration Network Austria for the time of Easter to Pentecost 2019

To contact and write us: europeanmigrationscoreteam@gmail.com P 5

EUROPEAN CLC MIGRATION NETWORK

Spain : Last February we had our annual meeting in Madrid. As we’ve been doing for some years now, one link

from every local community meets with the Migrations Core Team. This time the meeting has been a

very interesting space in which we have broadened the view in grateful key and we have outlined

challenges and dreams towards the future together since the invitation of DIAKONÍA, opportunity to

strengthen our response as a single community in mission, where we are all called, sent.

We reviewed the different spaces where we have a presence as CLC members committed with

migrations: Circles of silence, Detention Centres, interreligious prayer spaces, www.hospitalidad.es

(Jesuits Campaign), reception apartments for refugees and asylum seekers in Bilbao, projects in

Pamplona or Burgos, “We are migrants” exposition, desire to make a greater presence in Nador,

commitment of forming network in CVX migrations Europe and so much more!

Thus, today we are somehow present at the borders, trying to respond in collaboration with others, but

also, discerning how we can grow as an apostolic body in mission.

What we have as a horizon is the invitation to get on the road with the Diakonia Project, to discern

together how we can be more effective with evangelical criteria in our mission. Look for more agile

structures that allow us to give a better response as an apostolic body. For this, we start from an

important premise: we cannot do it alone, we are called to work with others and also called to discern

means and people with criteria of more universal good, etc. There we are : trying to listen, not to

anticipate, the Spirit.

Maria and Helena

To contact and write us: europeanmigrationscoreteam@gmail.com P 6

EUROPEAN CLC MIGRATION NETWORK

France The "Atelier Etranger" gathers around 50 CLCers from France and constitue a national network to serve

migrant people and refugees in connection with independent associations like JRS-Welcome, Caritas,

CCFD-TS. their missions are different, social or legal aid, homestay accommodation, French classes, visits

to migrants in prison, listening and

spiritual presence etc.

In Paris we organize two days a year

of meetings to reread our

commitments, pray, get information,

decrypt the news. 2018 is devoted to

the theme of our relationship with

justice and the migration laws, in a

particular context of strong legislative

evolution in France.

On one hand we wish to celebrate the 70 years of the UDHR (Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

at the end of the year, on the other hand we wish to warn about the progressive restriction of the

migrants´ rights in the country. For this reason we organize on November 24th and 25th a meeting for

all people close to Ignatian spirituality committed in the migration and in the justice fields, volunteers

and professionals, for a strong time of sharing on the theme "Equals in dignity and rights".

inscription on line here

Rights of foreigners increasingly restricted in France : Like all organizations helping migrants and

refugees in France we are worried about the vote in august by the parliament of a new law that restricts

the exercise of the foreigners´ rights to stay, increases the possible duration of administrative detention

for undocumented people to 120 days (instead of 45), to allow their faster expulsion from the country.

Even children can be put in these detention centres, depriving them of their fundamental rights although

it is prohibited by international law.

We are concerned about this restriction of asylum seekers´ rights, of their possibilities of regularization.

Leaving them to the street, homeless or in detention. Without any hope lot of people have been denied

asylum. Sending them home voluntarily or forcibly poses a real human problem that we, as Christians,

cannot ignore. We wish to take up the challenge to help them find dignified and fraternal protection as

the Church teaches us.

Nicole

To contact and write us: europeanmigrationscoreteam@gmail.com P 7

EUROPEAN CLC MIGRATION NETWORK

Italy In Italy we are facing a populist drift due to the election of Matteo Salvini in the Governement and

particularly to his role as Minister of internal affairs. In occasion of the position of the Minister about

the boat Diciotti, the National ExCo wrote this press release https://cvxlms.it/aquarius-comunicato-

stampa-cvxlms/

Laura

Europe

Again this year the project “At the frontiers with asylum-seekers” took place. Some resonance on this

successful project will follow in the next newsletter!

Take action !

European Citizen’s Initiative As Network we support the European Citizen’s Initiative to ask the European Commission to:

• Ban the criminalisation of solidarity in member states

• Support European citizens who want to offer safety to people fleeing persecution

• Guarantee effective access to justice to all victims of exploitation and abuse

If you want to sign the Petition, you can do it here.

United in the mission, Laura, Maria, Nicole, Ulrich, Helena and Karl

Next Newsletter will be edited end of November. If you got contributions, please send them before November 10 th ! Thank you!