Call to the regularization
of all sans-papiers
in Europe

1st meeting of the French signatories or interested organizations
(29 october 2002 in Gisti)

 

 

Were present :

Act-Up Paris (Julien Devemy, Isabelle Saint-Saëns), Attac (Pierre Tartakowsky), Cedetim (Gilles Lemaire), Droits Devant !! (Jean-Claude Amara, Zahir Benbara, Solange Odiet, Patrick Watkins), Fédération anarchiste (Christophe Danis), FASTI (Moncef El Bahri), Femmes de la terre (Lucie Brocard), GISTI (Jean-Pierre Alaux, Emmanuel Blanchard, Violaine Carrère, Nathalie Ferré, Marc Fromentin, Antoine Math, Constantinos Papantoniou), LDH (Malik Salemkour), Migrants contre le Sida (Reda Sadki, Samia), SNPM (Dominique Gazan)

 

Signatures & Diffusion

After a starting, in mid-September, by 16 organizations, the call adds up this day 120 signatures. One has noted nevertheless a rate decreasing of signatures for two weeks. 

A round table makes it possible to give a progress report on the diffusion of the call by all and sundry.

 

Amendment

LDH, FIDH et collectif Romeurope are ready to sign the call with the regularization of all sans-papiers in Europe if this last is reduced of the three first paragraphs.  These paragraphs relating to only France, they are useless for the signatories of others European countries. As this suppression does not withdraw any explanation or claim of the call itself, the request for these organizations is accepted.

 

Trade unions

The very small proportion of trade-union signatures is noted (except Italy). For example, the text was signed by none of the great French trade-union confederations. The proposal of a text explaining to the trade unions the reasons of the call is accepted. This text available in mid-November could be used by all making known the call with the trade-union power stations. Contacts with the trade-unions, in all Europe, will be essential.

 

Political formations

The participants meet on the fact that the political parties can support the call, but that they cannot have voting rights on any point relating to the direction of the campaign. Only associations, trade unions and collectives of sans-papiers can decide the actions of the call.

 

FSE 2002

All the participants agree on he importance to be present and to present the call at this gathering.

Will go to Florence : ACT-UP Paris  (Julien Devemy, Isabelle Saint-Saens), CEDETIM ( ?), DROIT DEVANT (Jean-Claude Amara, Patrick Watkins  ), FASTI ( ?) et GISTI (Jean-Pierre Alaux, Emmanuel Blanchard, Claire Rodier) seront présents

To present the call ? The participants agree on the need for making printings of the call. We decide of a printing in French and English. Each national collective should make printings in its language (recall: the translations are available on the internet).

November 7 in the morning will intervene in conference of the FSE the spokeswoman of the European coordination of sans-papiers. A meeting will take place on October 6 in the morning to meet her as well as some of the signatories of the NoBorder text. One will need for it representatives of the organizations signatories of the call, not only of the French organizations. If your organization is interested, contact on of the representatives quoted above.

Conferences, seminars and workshops will take place in the FSE and the "FSE off". It is necessary to be present at the maximum of meetings where the immigration will be discussed to be able to make the call’s claims be heard , and the reasons of our claims.

 

States General of immigration

Droits Devant !! will send at the end of this week a letter to the President of the Republic and to the head of the French government to ask them to organize General States of Immigration.

The participants think that the idea of General States is interesting. But other ways can be imagined to organize them. A working group will take place on November the 15th to think about it. This group will discuss in particular on the organization of these General States by the signatories of the call, and also on the call which annonces it.

One says also that it’s absolutely necessary to place oneself at the European level. We should not take the risk to get stuck in an only french debate. This text should talk about Europe, and the same initiative must take place in all European countries. Each "national collective" should adapt the text in order for it to be in adequacy with the context of its country.

A proposal of the European Greens, to help us to organize one day in Brussels, could be used to us, as framework to organize a large European gathering : A European general States of associations and trade unions.

The participants meet on the following calendar :

-French General States in the current of 2003 and before the next FSE which will take place in Paris/Saint-Denis in November 2003 ; the participants wich that the greatest possible number of European countries act in the same way ;

- Preparation of European general states in the European Parliament in Brussels in spring 2003 ;

- European General States within the framework of the FSE of Paris/Saint Denis (Nov. 2003).

A working group is formed to work on :

            - the inter-associative text ;

- the organisation  of the French General States ;

- the proposal of the European greens for Brussels.

The first meeting of this working group (first registered :  Act’Up, Cedetim, Droits Devant !!, Fasti, Gisti) is programmed on Friday November 15, 2002, 12 AM in the buildings of Droits Devant !! .

 

Internet

A mailing list of the French signatories will be created for a better circulation of information.

Another might be created between the working groups of the different countries.

The eight translations of the call, currently downloadable on the site of the Gisti - http://www.gisti.org/dossiers/sans-papiers/index.html - will be placed on a site with an URL independent of any organization (on the free domain eu.org). The URL of this site will be then widely spread among the European signatories.

 

Next dates

Working group : Friday 15 november 2002,  12h, in Droits Devant !!, 44 rue Montcalm 75018 Paris (01 42 58 82 82)

2nd french meeting : Tuesday 26 november, 18h30, in Gisti, 3 villa Marcès 75011 Paris (01 43 14 84 87 ou 89)