Rethink Europe Migration Crisis: Home-Investments, Proximity to Migrants, and Panic Control
This story is credited to AJ's Inside Story "Is EU Closer to Solving Migration Crisis?" issued on July 8, 2017
This story is inspired by AJ Inside Story joined by Leonard Doyle, a representative of International Organization for Migration, a UN migration agency, Wolfgang Renzsch, a political analyst from Magdeburg University, and Claude Moraes, the deputy leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party.
Mediterranean Sea has become a route for migration from African to European countries with no decreased rate. In particular, this year southern Italy received 70,000 undocumented people who are perceived by the locals as a threat to their country which is already in the middle of financial crisis. It is reported that 2,000 of the floating migrants have died on spot of their journey to Europe. This tragedy drives ministers from African and European countries towards a discussion table over the issue, with a final agreement ensuring that governments shall invest in African countries as an aim to stop out-migration to Europe. Will that work?
Photo credit to AJ Inside Story, July 08, 2017 (Screenshot)
The discussion gives me insights into controlling mechanisms for European migration crisis. The mechanisms call for enhancing investments at source, enlarging proximity to migrants in host-countries' residents, and releasing popular panics about migrant threats. These new mechanisms are suggested due to failure and insufficiency of previous ones (such as settlement programs) by European countries and US in addition with persistently increased number of migrants and refugees. The massive influx creates relative crisis for certain EU countries such as Italy, Greece and Spain, which are weaker in political football and get drained off by migration issues.
Regarding the first mechanism of investment, it is suggested that investments should be encouraged at home countries so that people could mobilize from one economy to another within home, according to Leonard Doyle, IOM representative. However, the mechanism is on rough way due to barriers such as absence of political commitment, voter fears and persistent persecution of home countries. Participation from home countries is needed.
Photo credit to AJ Inside Story
When asked about limits of international community's interference into a [home] country, Claude Moraes indicates structural difficulties and a new turn from putting pressure to making god partnerships and assistance to a country. This means that international community (i.e. EU) should be less aggressive but friendlier. Pressure does not always work. Furthermore, dealing a migration problem within their home country requires comprehensive knowledge on cultural and political sensitivity, so objective patterns of solution are more relational and participatory.
Another mechanism lies on popular proximity to migrants and refugees so that mutual understanding is possible between the local and the aliens. I agree with Leonard, who says that European countries should alleviate unfortunate mainstreams of migrants and refugees by tabloid media. In fact, migrants play a great role in making European countries prosperous—for example of East Indian Company in making Britain prosperous. By this sense, it has an implication that popular politics of fear over migration shall be replaced by coexistence. For an example, German people, I mean voters, remain optimistic and less feared by thinking that migrants are not immediate threat though seeing what is happening to Italy and Greek, according to Wolfgang Renzsch. Yet this project needs mutual understandings--not only the host side but also alien side.
Photo credit to AJ Inside Story
However, on basis of globalization theory, I am still haunted by challenges such as political games inside each country putting migrants as a ball to kick against their opponents (see Brexit and Trump’s American First). Migration crisis still get disturbed by lack of political wills orchestrated by domestic politicians with supports by migrant-panic voters. While some countries turn to be protectionist putting pressure on migration entrance, others are escaping shared responsibilities and putting one country fighting alone. Have you imagined why and how Italy, Greece and Spain are economic suffering in crisis? My preliminary argument is that migrants as human beings are active with effort to find where it better for them. They landed in Italy but it does not mean they will live in Italy. In possibility, they find ways—either legal or illegal—to move to other countries. Do you think how much and how long you can protect?
To speak on lower level of abstraction, I would give an analogy that when you are trying to rescue a drowning kid, it is somehow risky since he may just grab your throat and limbs tight in panic. As a result you may get drown too, for example, Italy, Greek and Spain. Why don’t we just teach them how to swim? We have been tired of rescuing many drowning kids from the ocean of globalization, so now it is time to teach them how to swim by providing skills and resources necessary to make it happen.
Fear of migrants is getting larger and larger especially by contemporary journalism which I call for revision upon. Media can carry all unfortunate images of migrant issue in Italy and Greek or England to world, leading to global fears of immigration and affecting local election campaign. Let's see Trump and Brexit. My argument is that the media world should rethink managing "scoops"--examining closely if they lead to fears or hope. Old traditional scoops used to be "The Worse The Better". I, by my stand, am
not saying media should write only good news or stop opening political curtain to public. In fact, I only post a further discussion on what are roles of media in reducing politics of fears in strongly-associated world.
