Christian Group statement on the European Commission proposal for a new common European system for return

JRS Europe joins a wider coalition of Churches and Christian organisations in Europe to raise a united voice on the European Commission’s proposal for a new common European system for returns. In this joint statement, we warn against a policy framework that risks normalising detention – even of children and families – and making forced return the default option, rather than investing in voluntary and dignified solutions.

We stress that return procedures must always respect the inherent dignity of every person, safeguard fundamental rights, and reflect the EU’s own values of justice, solidarity, and the rule of law. This paper calls on policymakers to place human rights at the centre of migration governance, to strengthen independent monitoring mechanisms, and to ensure that people are never reduced to numbers in political debates.

Signatories:

• Caritas Europa
• Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe – CCME
• Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (Secretariat) – COMECE
• Don Bosco International
• Eurodiaconia
• International Catholic Migration Commission – ICMC
• Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe
• Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) Brussels Office
• Quaker Council for European Affairs – QCEA
• Sant’Egidio BXL Europe, www.santegidio.org