Press Release 7 May 2003

EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON REFUGEES AND EXILES CONSEIL EUROPEEN SUR LES REFUGIES ET LES EXILES EU.OFFICE

ECRE urges the Justice and Home Affairs Council at its meeting on 8 May

to include refugees in the scope of the long-term residence directive

ECRE strongly urges the Justice and Home Affairs Council not to exclude refugees from the scope of the draft Directive concerning the status of third-country national who are long-term residents.

Since one aim of the Draft Directive is to address the Tampere Summit call to grant third country nationals rights and obligations comparable to those of EU citizens, it is important that refugees - a significant and often visible group of third-country nationals - be included in this key instrument. To deny refugees who have already lived for at least five years in one Member State access to this more stable status will result in denying refugees the enjoyment of certain social and economic rights, including the opportunity to make full use of freedom of movement within the Union, on equal terms with other third-country nationals. Such a step risks increasing the social exclusion of this already vulnerable group by limiting the opportunities for refugees to integrate into European societies. This cannot be in the interest of Member States.

In particular, granting refugees access to long-term residence status would ensure equal treatment with nationals regarding access to employment and education, including study grants and recognition of qualifications. This would reduce the problems that this group faces in accessing the labour market. As a result, refugees could make an earlier contribution to the economy of the host society, which would in turn reduce the costs that Member States would need to face in order to provide them with social assistance.

In addition, as a result of their escape from persecution refugees, unlike other third-country nationals, often have very little choice of where they reside in Europe. The opportunity to move within the Union is therefore of particular importance to refugees who could therefore relocate to a country where relatives and family may be residing, or where a refugee’s language skills might better be used. Again, this is likely to enhance the chances of refugee integration and of their contribution to European societies.

Whereas ECRE would welcome the submission by the European Commission without delay of a new proposal containing specific rules for the acquisition of long-term residence status by refugees and people with complementary forms of protection that takes into account the specific and more vulnerable situation of this categories of persons, we believe that this should not result in refugees being excluded from the scope of this Directive, as this would imply unnecessary delays in granting refugees access to a secure long-term resident status.

With xenophobia and hostility against refugees on the rise in many European countries, the inclusion of refugees from a directive aimed at facilitating integration of third-country nationals would go some way towards combating these very negative trends and send a strong message of solidarity with Europe’s refugee population.

Further information is available from María-Teresa Gil-Bazo, EU Representative, or Henry Mårtenson, Integration Programme Coordinator