Increase in Deportation of EU Rough Sleepers Causes FEANTSA to Reiterate Call on European Commission to Investigate the UK
Three months ago, FEANTSA, the Migrants' Rights Network and Praxis launched a complaint before the European Commission to challenge UK deportations. Today, we reiterate our call to quickly act against an inadmissible violation of citizen's rights.
The Independent revealed on Monday 11 September that the number of EU mobile citizens being removed from the UK has increased fivefold since 2010. One of the main targets of these enforced removals are mobile EU citizens who sleep rough. Through the adoption of an unprecedented - at EU level - piece of legislation, the UK has made sleeping rough a sufficient reason to forcibly remove EU nationals. This implies that even those who are working but cannot afford a place to live, may be subject to administrative removal.
Besides criminalising homelessness and adopting myopic and xenophobic measures, FEANTSA believes that the UK’s interpretation of free movement rights is unlawful. FEANTSA calls on the European Commission to adequately address this issue by starting investigations. UK policies not only infringe EU citizens’ rights but also jeopardise the work of homelessness services which work daily with people who need support and, instead, see their situation becoming even more precarious.
For more information, contact Mauro Striano.
mauro.striano@feantsa.org | +32 (0)2 538 62 65
