ABD takes part in a meeting at the European Parliament to exchange proposals and good practices for a feminist welcome

The coordinator of the Municipal Program of attention to refugees: Nausica Program, managed by ABD, Vanesa Moragas, participated this Tuesday, June 6, in the event ‘Feminist welcome, Transforming Together: border contexts and models of welcome for migrant women, adolescents and children to Europe and Mesoamerica‘ in the European Parliament.

The event, co-organized by Diana Riba, member of the European Parliament, and the project Acogidas feministas, Transformamos juntas, has served to make visible the situation at the borders and in the migration, refugee and asylum contexts both in Europe and in the central corridor of Mexico-Guatemala, for women, adolescents and children.

Situation at the borders and in contexts of migration

First, Diana Damián, from Formación y Capacitación (FOCA A.C.), explained the context of Chiapas and the migratory strategies of the female population, which is increasingly present.

Jara Henar, of Alianza por la Solidaridad, reviewed the European and Spanish legislation and described European migration policy as “murderous, hypocritical, seeking to hide from scrutiny, consuming people as goods and subcontracting and profiting from the border business”. In her speech she pointed out the structural violence suffered by women at origin, in transit and at destination and pointed to “repeating patterns”.

To end the first part, Sylvia Tejada, from Mujeres Pa’lante spoke about the obstacles faced by migrants once they arrive in Europe. Controls at airports, years to be able to regularize their status, the Immigration Detention Centers, fear and invisibility, lack of information or access to the registry and difficulties in accessing social protection services. These barriers are “racist, Eurocentric and patriarchal”, she summarized.

Proposals for feminist welcome

The second part of the event gathered examples of reception and accompaniment in the countries of transit or arrival and proposals for offering feminist welcome with an intersectional perspective.

Diana Damián explained the model of the Mesoamerican Network of Women, Health and Migration and appealed to weave alliances from the global to the community level. The Coordinator of the Gender and Migration Program of Wide+, Nurhidayah Hassan, shared the experiences of several migrant women’s groups led by migrant women: peer-to-peer accompaniment and political education for migrant women. She advocated opening spaces for participation and collaboration with migrant women so that they can participate in the design of policies, as well as opening specific funding channels and simplified application processes for these groups.

In this block, Maritza Sore and Amanda Alexanian from Almena Cooperativa Feminista, presented the analysis of the Catalan foster care system from an intersectional and rights-based feminist perspective and recommendations for professionals and institutions to “approach foster care differently”. Comprehensive accompaniment, guaranteeing access to and enjoyment of basic rights and participatory monitoring and evaluation of public policies. These are included in the tool ‘Reflections and proposals for the incorporation of the intersectional feminist perspective in the welcoming process in Catalonia‘ elaborated by Almena Cooperativa Feminista, Creación Positiva and FOCA A.C. in collaboration with other entities, collectives and municipal entities, such as the Nausica program, managed by ABD.

Diana Riba, MEP, closed the event by recognizing the “aggravation” of migratory routes and the situation of people who migrate to the “fortress Europe”, but highlighted the application of a law “that had been approved many years ago” (the Temporary Protection Directive) and that with Ukraine it has been possible to manage migration “more responsibly and safely”. “A good first step to apply in many other migratory crises”, she pointed out.

_{Images: MEP Diana Riba press Office}