**3. Migration and Disability: A Challenge with No Answer**

Migrations are among the main factors that contribute to growing diversity, a diversity that cannot be understood solely as the presence of multiple cultures in a society. Therefore, if disability and ethnicity are linked and we are able to talk about "superdiversity plus", how does the world act in the face of superdiversity plus? The answer must be based on conviviality, understood as processes of cohabitation and interaction that turn multiculture into a common feature of social life. This is because conviviality [11] and superdiversity [5] are concepts that, when applied to certain realities, are intended to guide the daily management of said differences.

It is essential to link citizenship and human rights in contemporary societies in the context of migration and disability, but the issue becomes complicated in contexts of crisis and austerity, and as a result, the reduction of available services solidifies the idea of whether the person who is receiving said services "is one of us". For all these reasons, we must rethink diversity by placing governance at the center of any progress, in a place closely linked to hyperdiversity and social cohesion [14].

Between 2015 and 2016, there was a massive influx of applicants for international protection in the European Union. That period was a turning point that triggered a change in European strategy that would create the necessary network to define new social policies and provide a solution to a huge list of unanswered needs.

In 2014, the number of first-time applicants for refugee status was 562,675 (women: 164,155). In 2015, this figure increased considerably to 1,257,035 (women: 344,390). In 2016, it fell slightly to 1,206,115 (women: 389,165) [15], falling further in 2017 to a figure similar to that of 2014 at 619,685 (women: 204,355), likely as a result of the agreed containment policies. Refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants with disabilities are not properly identified. This invisibility makes it difficult to plan the necessary support measures so that they can have equal access to services in reception centers [7]. In this era of "superdiversity" [4,5], the rights of individuals are a key concern.

In this sense, there is a set of regulatory, legal and human rights frameworks that support immigrants, both with and without disabilities. Migration and displacement are important issues for both policy-makers and human rights and development professionals [16]. In 2014, the United Nations presented the document "The economic, social and cultural rights of migrants in an irregular situation" [17,18], which lists fundamental rights, such as the right to health, the right to an adequate standard of living, including housing, water and sanitation, and food, the right to education, the right to social security, the right to work and the right to just and favorable working conditions.

More specifically, for people with disabilities, the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) defines the set of regulations at the European Union level that, since 2003, has addressed the issue of refugees with disabilities, including the following:


In the national law implementing this directive, Member States shall take into account the specific situation of vulnerable persons such as minors, unaccompanied minors, disabled people, elderly people, pregnant women, single parents with underage children, victims of human trafficking, persons with serious illnesses, persons with mental disorders and persons who have been subjected to torture, rape or other serious forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence, such as victims of female genital mutilation [22,23].

There are also international standards that specifically protect disabled refugees: for example, Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the United Nations states that parties shall take, in accordance with their obligations under international law (including international humanitarian law and international human rights law), all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters.

On 19 September 2016, the General Assembly of the United Nations approved the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants [24], which established that the States will address:

In accordance with our obligations under international law, the special needs of all people in vulnerable situations who are travelling within large movements of refugees and migrants, including women at risk, children (especially those who are unaccompanied or separated from their families), members of ethnic and religious minorities, victims of violence, older persons, persons with disabilities, persons who are discriminated against on any basis, indigenous peoples, victims of human trafficking, and victims of exploitation and abuse in the context of the smuggling of migrants.

Specifically, they commit to using the registration process to identify specific assistance needs and protection arrangements, where possible, including but not exclusively for refugees with special protection concerns, such as women at risk, children, especially unaccompanied children and children separated from their families, child-headed and single-parent households, victims of trafficking, victims of trauma and survivors of sexual violence, as well as refugees with disabilities and older persons.

In response to the Committee's recommendations, the European Parliament adopted the European Parliament Resolution of 7 July 2016 on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with special regard to the Concluding Observations of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2015/2258 (INI)). The European Parliament [25]:

58. Recognizes that vulnerable members of society are further marginalized if they have a disability, and stresses that the EU institutions and the Member States should redouble their efforts to fully accommodate the provision of rights and services for all persons with disabilities, including stateless people, homeless people, refugees and asylum seekers and people belonging to minorities; underlines the need to mainstream disability in the EU's migration and refugee policies;

59. Asks the Commission and the Council, in accordance with Article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), when making proposals for resolving the refugee issue, for funding or for other support measures, to provide for special care for persons with disabilities.

Additionally, the diversity between the different Member States is not only considerable in terms of the number of applications submitted, but also in terms of public policies, the policies of the respective governments and the response of societies. However, the common denominator in every country is the deficiencies in the reception systems for this group, which pose a serious risk of vulnerability and exclusion. Care systems for international protection applicants and disabled and/or dependent refugees are often insufficient, and frequently caused by traumatic situations suffered in countries of origin or during their escape.
