Nicolas Schmit, EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, met this Monday (June 13) with several young people from across Europe, to hear their views and discuss “Social Protection, Minimum Income, and beyond”.
BAPN activist Emmanuel Buta Kossi joined the youth debate on the future of these social policies and shared his perspective on the topic:
For me, social aid is very important. If these benefits were more accessible and more adequate, there would be less crime and illegal activity because it would give the same opportunities to everyone and the feeling of exclusion would decrease. (…) It allows you to have a starting point for a project, for studies or vocational training… to have financial resources while you look for a job, so that you don’t have to live with nothing.
(Emmanuel Buta Kossi, Activist of the Belgian Anti-Poverty Network)
The young activist gave a statement on the difficulties of being a migrant in Belgium and how Social Aid helped him and his family to survive and get an education. However, despite his mother receiving financial support from the revenu d’intégration sociale (RIS) [social integration income], that was not nearly enough to cover their basic living expenses. Emmanuel was forced to make the decision to stop studying and resorted to a series of precarious jobs, with no contract or fixed hours, sometimes working 50 hours a week, to be able to help at home.
Emmanuel later found a job through the Public Centre for Social Welfare (CPAS) in the Deal Jeune project, helping young people to have contact with the CPAS, guiding them through the procedures and informing them of their rights.
Young people need to be accompanied. Having financial aid is not enough. Because it’s easy when you’re young to be pulled to the other side, you are attracted by more money. It’s hard to make good choices when the income you get is so low. It is important to have services that allow young people to be guided. Young people need support, not control, sanctions.
(Emmanuel Buta Kossi, Activist of the Belgian Anti-Poverty Network)
Together with several other young people, Emmanuel had the opportunity to present questions to the Commissioner regarding Social Protection and Minimum Income policies, and how the Commissioner is taking action for young people:
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- In order to live a life in dignity and not just survive, you need an income above the poverty threshold. Particularly for young people, adequate minimum income schemes are very important and very much needed in order to have a good start in life. Why is the Minimum Income below the poverty threshold in most EU Member States?
- There are many organisations that work on the ground with young people experiencing poverty, reaching out to them, organising their participation in different projects that have no resources. Funding the work of this type of organisations is extremely important especially in the current context where poverty has been increasing. Why aren’t organisations that works towards enabling the participation of people experiencing poverty being funded adequately?
With the big objective of “[reducing] poverty by 50 million, at least” in mind, Commissioner Schmit talked about a future Recommendation proposed by the European Commission on what an appropriate Minimum Income in the EU should be like in order to fight poverty, while giving countries the flexibility to design and implement specific measures in line with national policies.
The Commissioner mentioned the importance of having an adequate Minimum Income accessible to people who cannot work or have no income through their labour, in order to help them get out of that situation and get a decent life: “We need to think of how the Minimum Income can help people, how it can be a ladder out of poverty and not a way by which they remain in poverty”.
He also recognized the importance of civil society initiatives in connecting with young people – and sometimes playing a much more useful role than public administrations. Commissioner Schmidt reinforced the notion that Minimum Income should not be, in most cases, a permanent solution, and the organisations that work towards enabling the participation of people experiencing poverty come into place as a way to help young people get out of that situation.
For many years, EAPN has put a strong focus on Minimum Income Schemes, and pushes for a strong legislative instrument that can make a real difference in the fight against poverty. The debate on Social Protection and Minimum Income will continue – be sure not to miss Emmanuel Buta Kossi as a speaker for EAPN’s annual Policy Conference on Adequate Minimum Income Protection – The Backbone of a Truly Social Europe!
The Conference will take place online on the 28th of June, 2-5 pm (CEST). Don’t forget to register here!
