Open letter to the European Union and Switzerland

Brussels, 20 February 2014 // The European Youth Forum signed an open letter calling the European Union and Switzerland to not start a fight at the expense of young people in response to the adoption of the initiative against mass immigration.

The European Youth Forum signed with the most prominent organisations active in the youth field an open letter released today following the latest news from the European Union regarding the adoption of the initiative against mass immigration on February 9, 2014. The European Union announced that negotiations on the programmes Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ were frozen. Both are core programs for the exchange and the mobility of young people in Switzerland and in Europe.

However, the exchange programs help to develop knowledge beyond national boundaries, to discover other cultures, and to learn from each other. International mobility is a driving force to enhance self-awareness, autonomy, responsibility and the spirit of openness, but also creativity and interdisciplinary thinking. Exchanges promote the values of a peaceful Europe and respect for other citizens.

The European Youth Forum, and the other signatory organisations call on the European Union and Switzerland not to fight at the expense of young people. The Swiss government must mobilize all its forces to continue to guarantee youth exchanges, and to ensure young people to enjoy their right to mobility. In addition , the signatory organisations ask the European Union, in solidarity with young people in Switzerland and in Europe, to find a solution to this unacceptable situation.

Organisations that actively support youth are convinced that young people, schoolchildren, students, apprentices do not have to suffer from the consequences of the adoption of this initiative against mass immigration!

The open letter is available below.

You can sign the open letter here (in French and Swiss)