Event: Family Reunification Legislation in Europe: Is it Discriminatory for Migrant Women?

Event date: 10/11/2011, Location: European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium
Thomas Huddleston, the MIPEX Central Research Coordinator from the Migration Policy Group, has been invited to speak at the event. Thomas will use the MIPEX III results to discuss the current political situation and options on family reunification at EU and Member State level.
About the event:
The event is jointly organised by the European Women's Lobby, (EWL), the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) and the European Network of Migrant Women (ENoMW).
Family reunification has been one of the major sources of legal immigration to the European Union over the last decades. According to Eurostat data almost 750,000 migrants arrived in EU Member States in 2010 for the purpose of family reunification. In mid-November, the European Commission plans to issue a Green Paper on the Right to Family Reunification in order to launch a debate on current EU legislation in this area (Directive 2003/86/EC). Following its assessment of the views expressed by stakeholders, the Commission will decide on future steps, including a potential amendment to the current Directive.
The European Women's Lobby, ICMPD and the European Network of Migrant Women will organise a hearing in the European Parliament on current EU Member State family reunification policies, emphasising the need for migration and integration policies to be gender sensitive as they affect migrant women and migrant men in a different way.
In particular, the hearing will provide an opportunity for considering the implications of current policies for the future integration perspectives of migrant women into society and the labour market based on the experiences from the EU Network of Migrant Women and the findings from recent research initiatives such as MIPEX III and studies conducted by ICMPD. Speakers at the event will include MEPs from several political groups as well as academics and researchers from various backgrounds. The hearing will take place from 15:00 - 18:30 on 10 November in the European Parliament, Room ASP 1G3. Due to EP regulations, registrations for the event must be received by Friday 28 October. Further information on the event (including a comprehensive agenda) will follow. Registrations can be addressed to Markus Sperl (Markus.Sperl@icmpd.org) and should include full name, date of birth and address.
For more information, click here.
About MIPEX
The Migrant Integration Policy Index is a fully interactive tool and reference guide and to assess, compare and improve integration policy.
It measures integration policies in all EU Member States, Norway, Switzerland, Canada, the USA, Japan and Australia.
Using 148 policy indicators it creates a rich, multi-dimensional picture of migrants' opportunities to participate in society.
Go to www.mipex.eu/familyreunion to see the overview of results for the Family Reunion strand.