Protect female migrants!

29.10.2006: Grüne Jugend and the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG) welcome the European Parliament resolution on the situation of female migrants in the EU.

With regard to the resolution of the European parliament of the 25th of October, Grüne Jugend and FYEG stress the specific situation of women migrants. Paula Riester, spokesperson of GJ says: "Especially female migrants have to face serious problems while migrating to the EU and living in one of the member states. They are much more often victims of human trafficking, sexual abuse and exploitation. Female migrants frequently have to carry the double burden of not beeing fully accepted by the society and beeing surpressed or violated by their families and husbands. Women often have to take care of their children or older family members while fleeing which makes it especially hard for them to seek for help. Women who are persecuted in their country of origin because of their political activities or that of theri family members are not considered refugees because the political work that they do like hiding oppositionals, delivering messages and carrying leaflets, is not considered to be a "active involvement" in oppositional work or because it is a family member who was politically active and is being persecuted. Many women lose their lifes because of this ignorance."

Ska Keller, spokesperson of FYEG, adds: "Women migrants are discriminated in their country of origin and in the country of destination. Often, gender specific reasons are not recognized by the country of destination nor are the women considered to be worthy of handling their own faith and that of their family. Language barriers and the fear to talk to any official mostly entail that these women stay alone with their problems. The Young Greens have been fighting already for a long time for a better edu cation,special language courses and the strict condemn of domestic violence. We are happy to see that our voice has been heard at least partly by the EP."

The decision of the EP prooves that the EU moves into the right direction. It firstly shows that the EU is willing to be more active in the field of integration. And secondly the female problems of migration have been adressed to. We support the EP request to the member states to ensure the human and civil rights of female migrants and to provide obliging language courses.