Caritas Europa: Protecting migrants fleeing from Ukraine
Against the backdrop of millions of refugees having fled the war in Ukraine to seek protection in the EU, Caritas Europa joined efforts with eight Christian organisations to outline recommendations to be taken at policy and practice level to respond to the important and increasing needs of the affected population.
The recommendations to state institutions and the EU include:
- A wide and generous implementation of the temporary protection directive (TPD), in terms of scope, rights covered, and family reunification procedures.
- Adequate EU financial and coordinative support to fulfil the rights that can be enjoyed under the TPD (e.g. employment, recognition of qualifications, healthcare, education, housing, etc).
- Enhanced solidarity support among Member states, including through relocation if needed, under the coordination of the European Commission.
- Adequate reception and integration support to protect vulnerable groups and people with special needs.
- Stepping up state support, capacity building and coordination structures to allow for access to social benefits, employment, language classes and other rights.
- Volunteer welcoming and private housing initiatives should be supported, while encouraging minimum standard setting, safeguarding and timely state provision of information on accessing rights and legal status and transition to permanent housing;
- Stepping up action to prevent human trafficking and exploitation, and to protect the needs and rights of children, including those unaccompanied.
- Funds that have been made available should be flexible in scope of utilisation, easily accessible for civil society and Member States, and should be prioritised to sustain pre-existing activities.
- An ongoing commitment of protection to other groups of refugees and asylum seekers should be maintained by not neglecting, discriminating against, or diverting resources from them, particularly those stuck on the EU’s border, and ambitious commitments to step up resettlement should be maintained.
