Newsletter 2020 Dear members and donors!
We would like to thank you for supporting migrants in difficult situations and for your confidence in our work.
The year 2019 ended with the Right to Remain demonstration in front of the Finnish Ministry of the Interior on December 10th. Around 250 asylum seekers and Free Movement Network actives from Tampere and Helsinki loudly demanded from the Minister of the Interior that all asylum seekers and undocumented migrants who received a negative decision before 2017 should be given the legal right to stay and legal status – immediately and unconditionally. The demands of the demonstration were received by State Secretary Olli-Poika Parviainen, who said that it would be difficult to get the legalization through at once but promised to advance the processing of the matter. You can read more of the demonstration here: RIGHT TO REMAIN! Statement of the Right to Remain demonstration to the Minister of the Interior Maria Ohisalo.
In 2020, the Free Movement Network has continued its activities funded by the support Association Rights Without Borders. Free and open to all counseling has been provided nationwide by telephone and online despite the restrictions caused by the coronavirus epidemic. Counseling has also continued face-to-face in Tampere and Helsinki, taking the coronavirus restrictions into account. The Association has been distributing grants to migrants continuously from the donations. The Covid-19 situation has clearly increased the need for assistance; the often irregular employment opportunities of migrants were among the first to disappear and many have had difficulty to cover their basic living costs. We have received increasing requests for support housing and living expenses. Family reunification costs, juridical processes, residence permit fees and travel expenses remain our main targets for support. In 2019, we distributed grants worth approximately 11 000 euros (see picture attached). By the end of July almost the same amount of grants had already been distributed in 2020, reaching over 10 000 euros.
The fourth issue of Signal – Writings on Freedom of Movement magazine was published in winter 2020. The magazine can be found on our website. Also, we will mail the magazine to our members upon request (send a message to vapaaliikkuvuus(at)gmail.com). We are currently seeking funding to continue the Signal project and new authors are welcome to join the editorial board and/or the overall media project in the future!
Membership fees and donations make up our main source of income and, therefore, they are an integral part of supporting migrants and their struggles. This means, it is not possible to share financial assistance or run campaigns without this revenue. We ask you to keep up with your donations to the Free Movement Network or as a support member of its support Association! Especially we welcome monthly donations, as they enable shared support and activity planning on a long-term basis. However, every membership fee and donation is of great help – so, choose the most suitable way for you to support migrants. Many thanks to everyone who has already paid their membership fees for 2020!
PS: In 2020 we have also renewed the Association’s rules and name. In the near future the name of The Rights Without Borders will change to The Free Movement Association. The Association and Network will continue to operate as before.
You can support our work with a membership fee, a one-time donation or a monthly donation:
SUPPORT MEMBERSHIP
- 1 year 50€, 20€ for those with lower income
- 3 years 100€, 5 years 200€, permanent membership 500€
- Account number: Aktia FI03 4055 0010 7993 16
- Reference number: 33035
- Message field: Name, address and email (if your online bank does not allow both reference number, please send a you message to vapaaliikkuvuus(a)gmail.com)
DONATION / MONTHLY DONATION
You can donate any amount you want – all contributions are helpful. Especially we hope for monthly donations since they make it easier to plan our long-term action. Alternatively, you can also choose the amount of monthly contribution and set it as a monthly transaction in your online bank service.
- Reference number: 33019
- Account number: Aktia FI03 4055 0010 7993 16
DONATIONS FOR FAMILY REUNIFICATIONS SUPPORT
In family reunification cases, the cost of bureaucracy and travel is high, and each family is responsible for paying these costs themselves. People who flee from crisis areas and have lost their homes often have difficulties in securing the necessary funds. By donating to the reference number below, you can support migrant family reunification costs.
- Reference number: 33219
- Account number: Aktia FI03 4055 0010 7993 16
