Irregular migrants: access to minimum social rights (2006)

Illegally resident immigrants are a particularly vulnerable group within European societies. This publication aims to identify the minimum rights to be granted to such persons, placing the emphasis on protecting social rights in the host countries.This book examines the issues in the light of the Council of Europe's concern to promote human rights, maintain social cohesion and prevent racism and xenophobia, and pinpoints a number of political difficulties encounter by governments. It stresses the potential role of the Council of Europe in counterbalancing the restrictive approach to illegal migration adopted by the European Union.Lastly, the author considers each of the aforementioned minimum rights in the light of the relevant international human rights instruments, including those adopted by the Council of Europe. He also looks at obstacles to access by illegal migrants to a minimum standard of protection in terms of each of these rights, referring to various examples of legislation and practice adopted by selected member States of the Council of Europe.