ANDES stands for 'Advocacy Network for Destitute Forced Migrants'. Building on its study of destitution in Europe ('We are Dying Silent', funded by the 'European Programme for Integration and Migration' - EPIM), JRS Europe aims to create a coalition of key actors in this area to highlight the topic of destitution at EU level. JRS Europe is planning to organise national events through JRS offices in order to bring together a large number of stakeholders and to conclude with a European Conference.

Under the EPIM 1 programme (2006 – 2007) the Jesuit Refugee Service Europe highlighted the situation of destitute forced migrants. The study 'We are dying silent' identified a large group of forced migrants – many of whom are people whose asylum claim was rejected, but who for good reasons, cannot be returned: these reasons are acknowledged as valid by EU and national law and by state policies. The migrants end up in a legal no man’s land; they fall through the cracks of the system. A French expression is: “les ni-nis: ni reconnus, ni expulsables”. Germans speak of “Duldung” – toleration status. The study showed for seven countries that there is large group of people concerned who, because of their non-status, have no access or only limited access to health care, housing, education, accommodation and social services. The prolonged poverty leads to despair, withdrawal and depression. Human Rights become dependent on legal status.

Under EPIM 2 (2008 – 2010) JRS will build on the previous study. JRS national offices have contacts with the population concerned: through direct service or from the work in detention.
It will be stressed that these people cannot return because of faults that are not their own – this should reduce hostility. The advocacy will point out that the destitution is policy induced: policies of local and national governments and of the EU, – hence the need to change these policies. The integration programs that receive support from the European Union are exclusively aimed at migrants with a regular status. Irregular migrants and the middle group that is neither illegally staying nor in possession of a status are excluded.

The project will inform press and policy makers of the consequences of the exclusion policies.The poverty of these migrants is a result of short comings of migration policies. They are often in the grey area between legal status and illegal status – their presence is tolerated but does not come with the right to earn a living. It will be made clear that these people are in difficulty through no fault of their own. A challenge will be to promote that many more stake holders include the destitute migrants in their integration policies, a goal within the scope of EPIM 2.

The overall goal of JRS is to obtain a policy change at national and European levels to improve access to education, health care, accommodation and employment for illegal migrants and rejected asylum seekers.
 

Link to 'We are Dying Silent' (EPIM 1) project website