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Europe: Criminalisation of Existence
Poverty and immigration are not crimes
< image © Valentin Lombardi.
How do security policies target migrants, the homeless, the economically vulnerable, or racialised individuals? Lawyers Without Borders (Avocats sans Frontière, ASF) organised an event in March 2024 as part of the European Citizens’ Summit. Prison Insider, the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), and European Alternatives also participated. The workshop, titled “De-securitising and Decriminalising Migration and Poverty: Advocating for a Non-Discriminatory Approach in European Policies”, addressed the impact of criminalising minor offences and the challenges civil society faces in proposing a counter-narrative. Lawyers Without Borders (ASF) highlighted the key points of these discussions.
Justine Dofal is the Networks and Partnerships Coordinator, responsible for co-coordinating the Francophone group of the Global Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status. Elodie Hut is the Project Manager for “TACKLE: Promoting the Emergence of Youth Activism Against Discrimination and Structural Racism in Europe.”
Justine Dofal focuses on issues related to poverty, while Elodie Hut discusses the consequences of current migration policies. Prison Insider asked them three questions.