Signed,
European sex Workers' Rights Alliance (ESWA)
Equinox Racial Justice Initiative
Correlation-European Harm Reduction Network
European Network against Racism
Trans Europe and Central Asia (TGEU)
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To the European Commission, the European Parliament, and all stakeholders in European governance:
We, the undersigned civil society organisations, are united in our concern about the growing reliance on criminalisation and policing as a method of governance rather than using social means to address social issues and inequalities. Laws are increasingly being shaped to punish entire communities, behaviours and identities at the expense of fundamental principles of justice, human rights, equality and social justice. These punitive approaches are often justified with a narrative of protecting people and providing avenues for remedy. However, they fail to protect and exacerbate harms for the very people they are meant to safeguard, with marginalised groups such as sex workers, racialised people, migrants, people living in poverty and LGBTQI+ communities, especially trans women, among those most negatively affected.
Criminalisation and the expansion of police powers are inextricably linked, and both reflect deep-seated prejudices against marginalised, underserved and targeted communities. Policing, as currently constituted, not only fails to protect our communities but exacerbates their vulnerability to violence, harassment, and state punishment. These systemic failures are not a result of individual bad actors within the system, but of a system that relies on state sanctioned violence, criminalisation, and exclusion. Expanding reliance on policing and the criminal legal system has left our communities without avenues for justice.
We demand the end of the criminalisation of racialised, migrant, sex worker and LGBTQI+ communities, who are increasingly surveilled, profiled and policed. Instead principles of care, social justice, and community-led support should be prioritised. We call on the European Union to open a dialogue about the role of policing and criminal justice, and shift towards a model of transformative justice that: seeks to repair harm; addresses the underlying conditions and root causes that perpetuate harm and injustice; and does not create new cycles of violence and oppression. This is vital if the EU truly wants to be a beacon of democracy that counteracts the rise of authoritarian regimes around the globe.
Transformative justice does not mean that there are no consequences or accountability for those responsible for harming others. Transformative justice is an alternative framework that addresses harm, discrimination and violence in a way that centres the voices and needs of affected communities, particularly those most vulnerable to systemic injustice.
We urge the EU institutions to:
By re-orienting further funding from policing to investment in social means and community-based solutions, we will prioritise methods which are shown to be more effective in preventing harm, resolving conflict, and supporting those affected by violence. As the EU begins negotiations on the next multiannual financial framework next year, we call for the inclusion of a transformative justice framework in all programmes, including specific budget lines for migration and integration, gender equality and anti-discrimination. Sex worker-led organisations, for example, have long been at the forefront of challenging discrimination, providing safety, mutual support and advocacy for change. Their work demonstrates the power of community-led responses and solutions to violence and injustice.
This manifesto is a call to action for European policymakers, civil society, and all those committed to social justice and human rights. Together, we can build a Europe where all communities—especially the most marginalised—are treated with dignity, respect, and the full protection of the law.
Signed,
European sex Workers' Rights Alliance (ESWA)
Equinox Racial Justice Initiative
Correlation-European Harm Reduction Network
European Network against Racism
Trans Europe and Central Asia (TGEU)