Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant said that homelessness across Europe needs systematic and not partial solutions. For this, there is limited political appetite. Indeed, the difficulty is that we must overcome a huge temptation to classify homelessness as a marginal problem. Europe is once again ignoring the minority of those who end up homeless following their failed attempt of a better life in another EU country. Dr. Sant was addressing a seminar on homelessness among mobile EU citizens organised by FEANTSA, a European federation of organizations from different EU countries that work with homeless people.
“Homelessness is a serious problem in Europe, which is supposedly one of the richest, socially most advanced regions of the globe. Worse, as a problem, it is growing. Not just because of the phenomenon of irregular migration and the arrival in Europe of refugees in huge numbers, but also because of an increasing number of those EU nationals who choose to move to another EU country with the goal of achieving a better life but fail.” said Dr. Sant.
The Maltese MEP said the real challenge is to understand how and why the European society we are trying to manage allows for homelessness. In reality, Dr. Sant said, this is far from being a marginal problem.
The event, hosted by MEPs Alfred Sant (S&D) and Sylvie Goulard, French MEP (ALDE) Alliance of the Liberals in the EP, explored why mobile EU citizens are vulnerable to homelessness, particularly with regard to precarious working conditions. Representing Malta was Therese Cini Sarreo from the YMCA who gave an overview of the situation of homeless people from other EU countries in Malta.
Maltese Version – JINĦTIEĠU SOLUZZJONIJIET SISTEMATIĊI GĦAN-NIES BLA SAQAF FL-EWROPA
Jinħtieġu soluzzjonijiet sistematiċi għan-nies bla saqaf fl-Ewropa u jidher li m’hemmx aptit politiku għal dan. Is-soluzzjonijiet parzjali mhumiex biżżejjed u huwa diffiċli negħlbu t-tentazzjoni li nikklassifikaw in-nies bla saqaf bħala problema marġinali. Dan qalu Alfred Sant waqt seminar dwar ċittadini Ewropej bla saqaf organizzat minn FEANTSA, il-federazzjoni Ewropea ta’ organizzazzjonijiet mill-istati membri li jaħdmu ma’ din il-minorita` ta’ nies. Dr Sant qal li l-Ewropa, għal darb’oħra, mhux tagħti kas din il-minorita` ta’ nies li ma nrexxilhomx joħolqu ħajja aħjar f’pajjiż Ewropew ieħor.
“Għalkemm ir-reġjun Ewropew huwa wieħed mill-iktar reġjuni għonja u soċjalment avvanzati fid-dinja, il-problema tan-nies bla saqaf hija kbira. Agħar minn hekk, din il-problema qed tikber. Dan mhux biss minħabba l-fenomenu tal-immigrazzjoni irregolari u bil-wasla ta’ numru kbir ta’ refuġjati. Il-problema qed tikber ukoll minħabba n-numru dejjem jiżdied ta’ ċittadini Ewropej li jagħżlu li jmorru f’pajjiż ieħor fi ħdan l-Unjoni bl-għan li jkollhom ħajja aħjar imma ma jirnexxilhomx. L-isfida ewlenija hija li nifhmu kif u għaliex is-soċjeta` Ewropea li qed nippruvaw nfasslu qed tħalli lok għal nies li jisfaw bla saqaf” qal Dr Sant.
Is-seminar ittella’ mill-Ewroparlamentari Alfred Sant (S&D) u Sylvie Goulard, Ewroparlamentari Franċiża tal-Alleanza tal-Liberali fil-Parlament Ewropew (ALDE). Fis-seminar ġew esplorati r-raġunijiet għala ċittadini Ewropej li jmorru f’postijiet oħra fl-Ewropa huma aktar vulnerabbli li jispiċċaw bla saqaf, speċjalment jekk ikollhom kundizzjonijiet ta’ xogħol prekarju. Therese Cini Sarreo, li rrappreżentat lil Malta u l-organizzazzjoni YMCA, tat idea ġenerali tas-sitwazzjoni tan-nies Ewropej li sfaw bla saqaf f’Malta.
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