EMF response to the Stockholm Programme
The Stockholm Programme is to define the framework for EU police and customs cooperation, rescue services, criminal and civil law cooperation, asylum, migration and visa policy for the period 2010–2014. The Programme was discussed at the informal ministerial meeting in Stockholm in July 2009 and will ultimately be adopted by EU Heads of State and Government at the Summit in December 2009. The Stockholm Programme is an operational follow-up of the European Pact for Asylum and Migration signed in 2008.
EMF response
First of all the EMF states that the issue of migrant workers in the metalworking industry within EU members states as well as from third countries should not fall under DG Justice, Freedom an Security, but rather under DG Employment ensuring migrant workers with adequate labour rights and social protection to the same extent as local workers.
The Stockholm Programme should take into account the rights of all migrant workers, regardless of sector and form of work, manual or other as well as seasonal work, intra corporate transferees and remunerated trainees.
The status of a migrant worker concerning administrative regulation such as work permits, residence permits and the overall rights to participate in society along with other metalworkers, is vital to the sustainability of the industry and of society itself. Labelling humans as illegal due to the lack of proper documentation is inappropriate and the term illegal worker is not acceptable.
The term undocumented worker is used by the International Metalworkers’ Federation and the EMF should use the same terminology. Therefore the EMF will no longer refer to a migrant worker as illegal.
Consequences for undocumented workers include unequal treatment with local workers, for instance administrative detention and expulsion when not holding a valid ID card. While a worker who holds EU citizenship is not threatened by detention in the same situation. Such unequal treatment is unacceptable to the EMF and risk increasing intolerance, racism and xenophobia. Human rights and workers rights are at the core of EMF policy. It is therefore unacceptable that the EU plans to extend the existing policies concerning administrative detention and forced expulsion of migrants.
The EMF further opposes to use EU funds for setting up detention centres in third countries, which would possibly worsen the conditions of people in detention.
Furthermore it would decrease the possibility to seek asylum and merely hide the problems from EU public opinion.
