Undocumented migrants contribute directly and indirectly to social protection systems - as taxpayers, workers and informal carers. Yet, they’re often excluded from social protection. This exclusion leads to more in-work poverty, destitution, homelessness, violence and exploitation – that they already experience due to their migration status and restrictive migration policies.

Despite helping support social protection systems, undocumented people are pushed in a vicious circle where they cannot access social protection because of their status, which in turn makes them more exposed to vulnerabilities and keeps them stuck in irregularity, which ultimately perpetuates their exclusion.

In our latest report, we look at what international and EU standards say about access to social protection, and we highlight examples of governmental measures (at the national, regional and local levels) in Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland that include undocumented residents in social protection measures. While these examples are very limited, governments in these instances have nonetheless recognized that such measures are necessary, feasible and beneficial. Despite an overall context which remains highly restrictive, we hope that these examples can indicate potential ways forward for more inclusive social protection systems in Europe, regardless of migration status.

Read more in our report, including our calls for change to make social protection more inclusive.