Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13906 | 06 October 2015

Towards a European Earned Citizenship Programme for refugees

Signatories: Mr David DAVIES, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr David BAKRADZE, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Lord Richard BALFE, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr James CLAPPISON, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Jeffrey DONALDSON, United Kingdom, EC ; Ms Daphné DUMERY, Belgium, NR ; Mr Jonathan EVANS, United Kingdom, EC ; Ms Jana FISCHEROVÁ, Czech Republic, EC ; Sir Roger GALE, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Mr Serhii KIRAL, Ukraine, EC ; Ms Elvira KOVÁCS, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Mr Zviad KVATCHANTIRADZE, Georgia, EC ; Sir Edward LEIGH, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Jaak MADISON, Estonia, EC ; Mr Zsolt NÉMETH, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Tom PACKALÉN, Finland, EC ; Mr Samad SEYIDOV, Azerbaijan, EC ; Mr Serhiy SOBOLEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Viktor VOVK, Ukraine, EC ; Ms Kristýna ZELIENKOVÁ, Czech Republic, ALDE

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

During WWII, millions of refugees from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Germany and many other countries fled to the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.

Shortly after their arrival, separate foreign brigades were created, recruited from the many refugees. Others were integrated in the regular UK, US and Canadian armed forces. The refugees received proper training in their host countries and played later a crucial role in the liberation of their countries from Nazi-Germany. Also nowadays migrants from all over the world have the opportunity to manifest their willingness to integrate in their new home country: about 65,000 immigrants serve in the United States Army, being engaged in active duty at the front line.

Europe currently has one of the largest inflows of migration since WWII. The Parliamentary Assembly should examine how we can help these refugees to help themselves. With the experience from WWII and the ongoing “Earned Citizenship Programme of the US” (President Obama, January 29, 2013) in mind, the Assembly calls on the member States to examine how it would be possible to establish volunteer battalions recruited from refugees from Iraq and Syria. Once properly trained and equipped, these volunteer battalions can help participate in the liberation of their home countries. The Assembly should also examine whether it would be appropriate for refugees and the families of those volunteering to actively engage in the “European Earned Citizenship Programme” to receive preferential access to public services or other privileges for themselves and their immediate families.