Homelessness and free movement

Question for written answer
to the Commission
Rule 130
Alfred Sant (S&D)

Subject: Homelessness and free movement E-013156/2015

Question(s)

On the Commission webpage dealing with homelessness (http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1061) migration is described as a typical cause of homelessness. In this regard: Has the Commission collected any data on homelessness based on nationality per Member State which it can share with the public?

Has the Commission analysed the situation of homelessness caused by the failure of the social security systems of the host Member States to cater for those EU nationals moving from one member state to another?

Can the Commission provide information on its strategy to tackle the problem of homelessness resulting through free movement?

Answer given by Ms Thyssen on behalf of the Commission (10.12.2015)

The collection of harmonised data on homelessness at EU level disaggregated per nationality is a challenge, due to methodological difficulties to capture this population in household surveys. However, some data were collected through the 2011 population census [1], by FEANTSA [2], and by the Member States. According to this and other evidence gathered by the Commission in the Social Investment Package [3] and in the 2014 EU study on Mobility, Migration and Destitution in the European Union [4], foreign nationals [5] make up a significant proportion of the homeless people in the EU.

The Regulations on the coordination of social security systems [6] aim to ensure that mobile workers do not loose acquired social security rights when moving to another Member State. However, homeless persons have frequently not yet acquired such rights. The European Structural and Investment Funds can support the social and labour market participation of homeless people, including through a combination of housing and other enabling support services and employability/training opportunities.

1 Data from the 2011 population census: https://ec.europa.eu/CensusHub2/query.do?step=selectHyperCube&qhc=false
2 European Federation of National Organizations working with the Homeless www.feantsa.org
3 Commission Staff Working document SWD(2013)42 on Confronting homelessness in the European Union
4 See at http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1061&langId=en
5 Including third-country nationals and EU citizens from another Member State.
6 See Regulations No. 883/2004 and No. 987/2009

Follow-up to Written Question E-013156-15 on homelessness and free movement

In reply to parliamentary question E-013156/15, the Commission states that “the European Structural and Investment Funds can support the social and labour market participation of homeless people,
including through a combination of housing and other enabling support services and employability/training opportunities.”. In this regard,

– Can the Commission provide the figures for the amount of assistance which has been directed to homeless people under the mentioned EU funds?

– Can the Commission provide the number of homeless people, per country and per nationality, who benefited from the mentioned funding?

Maltese Version

Suġġett: Persuni mingħajr dar u l-moviment liberu
Fuq is-sit tal-internet tal-Kummissjoni li jittratta l-problema ta’ persuni mingħajr dar (http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1061), il-migrazzjoni hija deskritta bħala eżempju tipiku ta’ kawża ta’ persuni mingħajr dar.
Il-Kummissjoni ġabret xi data dwar il-problema ta’ persuni mingħajr dar abbażi tan-nazzjonalità għal kull Stat Membru li hi tista’ tikkondividi mal-pubbliku?
Il-Kummissjoni analizzat is-sitwazzjoni ta’ persuni mingħajr dar kawża tan-nuqqas tas-sistemi ta’ sigurtà soċjali tal-Istati Membri ospitanti li jieħdu ħsieb dawk iċ-ċittadini tal-UE li jiċċaqilqu minn Stat Membru għal ieħor?
Tista’ l-Kummissjoni tagħti informazzjoni dwar l-istrateġija tagħha biex tindirizza l-problema ta’ persuni mingħajr dar ikkaważata mill-moviment liberu?

Tweġiba mogħtija mis-Sinjura Thyssen f’isem il-Kummissjoni (10.12.2015)

Il-ġbir ta’ dejta armonizzata dwar il-problema ta’ persuni mingħajr dar fil-livell tal-UE disaggregati skont in-nazzjonalità hija sfida, minħabba diffikultajiet metodoloġiċi biex tiġi inkluża din il-popolazzjoni fi stħarriġ tal-familji. Madanakollu, xi dejta nġabret permezz taċ-ċensiment tal-popolazzjoni tal- 2011, mill-FEANTSA, u mill-Istati Membri. Skont dan u evidenza oħra li tkun ġiet miġbura mill-Kummissjoni fil-Pakkett ta’ Investiment Soċjali u fl-istudju tal-UE dwar il-Mobilità, il-Migrazzjoni u l-Faqar fl-Unjoni Ewropea tal-2014, iċ-ċittadini barranin jammontaw għal proporzjon sinifikanti ta’ persuni mingħajr dar fl-UE.

Ir-regolamenti dwar il-koordinazzjoni tas-sistemi tas-sigurtà soċjali għandhom l-għan li jiżguraw li l-ħaddiema mobbli ma jitilfux id-drittijiet tas-sigurtà soċjali miksuba meta jiċċaqalqu lejn Stat Membru ieħor. Madankollu, persuni mingħajr dar kienu ta’ spiss ma kisibx sikwit ikunu għadhom ma kisbux tali drittijiet. Il-Fondi Ewropej Strutturali u ta’ Investiment jistgħu jappoġġaw il-parteċipazzjoni ta’ nies mingħajr dar fis-suq tax-xogħol u fis-soċjeta’ , inkluż permezz ta’ taħlita ta’ djar, u ta’ servizzi oħra ta’ appoġġ u opportunitajiet ta’ taħriġjew impjeggabbiltà.