WUNRN
European Women's Lobby - EWL
Joint Statement of European Network
of Migrant Women (ENoMW) &
European Women's Lobby (EWL) on
International Day of Families 2011
Family
Reunification Is Central to the Well-Being of Migrant Women and to the
Successful Integration of Their Families.
Since its formation in 2007, the European Network of Migrant Women
(ENoMW) has worked to draw attention to the importance of family reunification
policies for migrant women – both for their well-being and for the integration
chances of their families as a whole. The practice of tying residence permits
and rights to the fortunes of a primary migrant reinforces gender inequalities
within migrant communities. The ENoMW and the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) see ‘dependent status’ is an unnatural
family situation in itself, which has detrimental effects on women, in terms of
their social inclusion, self-confidence and realisation in life.
The ENoMW and the EWL maintain that family members’ access to autonomous
permits is a weakness in most EU countries. This puts many migrant women
experiencing domestic violence in a precarious situation. The migrant women in
question are inclined to endure domestic abuse longer, as they are threatened
with the possibility of becoming undocumented, homeless and without means of support.
Therefore, the ENoMW and the EWL call on EU governments to put an end to
policies establishing dependency between family members.
In addition, the ENoMW and the EWL are increasingly worried that more
and heavier conditions are attached to the family reunification rights of
immigrants in
.