ESF and Migration Network

Appeal for the Migration Network

In the 4th ESF (Athens 2006) more than 40 migrant's and antiracists groups and networks from all around Europe have taken part in the Migration Network. Through all the preparation process, we have agreed to common agenda and common priorities. We all have appealed for a 3rd European-wide day of action struggling for "a European unconditional legalization and equal rights to all migrants; for the closure of all detention centers in Europe, for the stop to externalization, for the stop to deportations; against the precariousness and for the uncoupling of the link between resident permit and the labor contact, for a residence citizenship" (Declaration of Social Movements Assembly, Athens 2006).

We all consider that this European-wide cooperation has widened our experience and our point of view and has strengthened the visibility of our struggles against dominant European border and migration policies. New conditions, like the implementation of Dublin Treaty and generally the harmonization of European policies against asylum right, force us to continue and enlarge this process.

We call migrants and antiracist groups, organizations and networks to join Migration Network. Until the next EPA, in Berlin 22-24 February 2008, we will start the consultation about our priorities for the agenda of next ESF in Malmoe 2008 and also about common actions and campaigns.

Istanbul EPA
31-11-2007

Migration Network Report

Most of discussion was oriented to the enlargement of the network, especially with groups and networks that have already taken part in previous ESFs.

We made a short presentation about the process until know. Migration Network has been formed preparing the last ESF (:: Athens, 2006). We had meetings in all EPAs before Athens, with the participation of about totally 30 organizations and networks from all around Europe. We have completed successfully the merging process for our theme, having finally 12 inclusive seminars coming from 40 proposals. During ESF we also have organized a thematic space, an action against a detention camp and the assembly of the network, in which we produced a common declaration, calling for the :: 3rd European-wide day of action.

This call has been included to Social Movements Assembly Declaration. After all this process we have better communication and cooperation between our movements, although we haven't since then proceed in ESF's network process.

In order to do that, we decided to address a new appeal, based on Athens declaration, to all groups and networks that have participated (our could participate) in Migration Network, calling them to take part in network meetings and in the preparation of next ESF. This appeal will be distributed through ESF site and openesf, email lists of ESF and other networks, international meetings (like :: Lisboa on December) and contacts from previous meetings. We will also create a space for this network on ESF site (posting reports and calls from previous process) and take advantage of openesf.

With all the groups that will correspondent we will prepare the next meeting of the network, during the next EPA in Berlin, where we will discuss about the agenda of next ESF and our common priorities for that and we will exam the possibility of having common action or preparing common campaigns even before Malmoe's ESF.

Preparing the general structure of ESF 2008 program, we all have agreed in the importance of migration theme, especially after the new European process referring the harmonization of European policies against migration.

Finally, because of the fact that many participants were coming from Turkey and Greece, we discussed about planned action in the border-line between Greece and Turkey in the next months.

Istanbul EPA
31-11-2007

Contact person: Nikos Nikisianis, Antiracist Initiative, Thessaloniki, Greece nnikisia (at) bio.auth.gr

Related information

:: WSF call for actionday on Jan 26, 2008
:: "Africa-Europe Alternatives" Meeting, Lisbonne, 07-09 Dec 2007
:: Statement of the Assembly on Migration, WSF Nairobi, Jan 2007
:: Actionday Oct 7, 2006
:: Rabat Conferences on Migration, June/July 2006
:: Deklaration des 2. Weltmigrationsforum in Madrid, Juni 2006 (de)
:: Report and declaration from ESF in Athens, May 2006
:: Bamako Call for respect and dignity of migrants, WSF, Jan 2006
:: Actionday Apr 2, 2005
:: Actionday Jan 31, 2004
:: Common Declaration from ESF in Paris, Nov 2003