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Are homeless EU nationals really better off being ‘sent home’?
The homeless situation of many EU migrants is often the result of a host of wider misfortunes which they have experienced in the UK. Those people who have ended up without shelter have often been subjected to the most exploitative sectors of the UK labour market, the absence of security, and poor treatment in the private housing sector which has reduced them to the position described in the recent Guardian article “Homeless Poles living on barbecued rats and alcoholic handwash”.
For the Eastern European migrants confined to employment in sectors dominated by private employment agencies and casual working, these difficulties have been made worse by the much-criticised Home Office Workers Registration Scheme, which means that the range of benefits and housing support that would have been available to British citizens and migrants from other EU countries are often denied to them.
Is it then right to conclude that homeless EU nationals would be better off ‘sent home’? The Guardian article refers to programmes run by homeless charities, which help EU nationals to detox before they return back to their country of origin (in some cases enforced by the UK Border Agency). Although this approach may be an important part of the solution, it does not address the underlying causes behind the predicament of these migrants. There are also likely to be bigger problems with the UKBA expulsion strategy in relation to homeless EU migrants. The UK Border Agency scheme to deport eastern Europeans, as it is formulated now, could land the UK in the European courts. It is anticipated that the higher courts will find all, or virtually all, of these expulsions unlawful under EU law.
Rather than jump to the conclusion that these people would be better off ‘going home’ we should be concerned to ask why their experience of migration to the UK has turned out so badly. The answers to this question are likely to relate to their exploitation, discrimination, and the indifference of government agencies to their predicament. We should be going all out to address the causes, rather than the symptoms, of their situation.
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I agree with Don. The conclusion reached in relation to homeless East Europeans is a lop sided one.Unscrupulous employers who pay the 'exploited ' workers in alcoholic drinks instead of cash are deemed blameless while the victims live in appalling conditions. What kind of country have we become? When it comes to migrants and refugee issues , why do we come up with emotion laden explanation and not use rational debate and proper analysis?
Here is an article form the Inside Housing on the topic of rough sleepers followed by a very interesting debate in the comments section.
http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/care-and-support/rough-sleepers-are-...
MRN was asked to write a follow up article for the printed version. So far it hasn't been made available online yet.
Lithuanian personal identity cards are officially recognised identity documents issued to Lithuanian citizens. They are also valid for travel within the European Union and a number of other European countries, such as Albania, Croatia, Switzerland, Israel, Norway, Iceland and Montenegro. The British passport is issued to British citizens at any age, and is the primary document of international travel issued by the UK . The passport, along with the national identity card allows for free rights of movement and residence in any of the states of the European Union, European Free Trade Association, Croatia, Israel, Albania and Bosnia
British passport
Photo of the information page of the non-biometric passport
British passports are issued to british citizens to travel outside of UK. For traveling inside the European Union, as well as to Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Israel, Switzerland, Vatican City, Albania, Monaco,Montenegro, San Marino, Andorra, Croatia and the British dependencies in Europe (i.e., Gibraltar, Jersey, Isle of Man, Guernsey), british citizens can use their national ID card.
The British passport is issued to British citizens at any age, and is the primary document of international travel issued by the Republic. The passport, along with the national identity card allows for free rights of movement and residence in any of the states of the European Union ,European Free Trade Association, Croatia, Israel, Montenegro and Albania
The British passport is issued to British citizens at any age, and is the primary document of international travel issued by the UK . The passport, along with the national identity card allows for free rights of movement and residence in any of the states of the European Union, European Free Trade Association, Croatia, Israel, Albania and Bosnia
British passport
Photo of the information page of the non-biometric passport
British passports are issued to british citizens to travel outside of UK. For traveling inside the European Union, as well as to Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Israel, Switzerland, Vatican City, Albania, Monaco,Montenegro, San Marino, Andorra, Croatia and the British dependencies in Europe (i.e., Gibraltar, Jersey, Isle of Man, Guernsey), british citizens can use their national ID card.
The British passport is issued to British citizens at any age, and is the primary document of international travel issued by the Republic. The passport, along with the national identity card allows for free rights of movement and residence in any of the states of the European Union ,European Free Trade Association, Croatia, Israel, Montenegro and Albania
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Since the Treaty of San Stefano signed March 3, 1878 Serbian Nationalism, Radicalism, Chauvinism and Irredentism, continuously, systematically, persistently and tenaciously killed and eradicated tens of thousand of Innocent Croatian, Bosnian and Kosovars every year. The West Europe did nothing to stop them but supported them and is as guilty as Serbs.
Thanks god this stopped on 1995-2000, and now there is some hope that this would come to a halt. But the geopolitical strategy of France and west Europe is to favor Serbian in expense of the others. The objective of Paris-Belgrade-Moscow Axis is to recreate the Greater Serbia, with the aim to control the central Europe.
For Croatia, Bosnia and Kosova it isn’t a good idea to join the Divided EU controlled by France and Russia.
The eu needs to act more coheseively as a nation if we have freedom of movment as eu citizens we should also be protected by the rights of whichever state we're in.
EU nationals should not be a borden on other EU states just because they have free movements and the same rights
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