UN official decries toxic backdrop as EU debates new migration policies
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Version 0 of 1. Describing migration as “one of the great issues of our time,” UN special representative Peter Sutherland warns that negative portrayals of migrants, often by politicians fearful of antagonising voters, are coalescing with rising nationalism and anti-Europeanism to create a toxic backdrop that has favoured the growth of anti-immigrant political forces. The European Commission is to produce new policy blueprints on migration by May amid a growing realisation that radical action is needed to tackle the humanitarian tragedy that sees thousands of migrants drown each year in the Mediterranean. Sutherland has been working to get migration into the sustainable development goals (SDGs) that are being drafted now to guide development priorities until 2030. He said there might be some opposition, but he expected the issue to be referred to in a significant way. “For a long time in the development community, there was a mental reaction that if we accept migration as being part of the development conundrum, we are conceding defeat ... It’s complete rubbish. [Migrants] make an enormous contribution ... Remittances are far bigger than export growth and foreign direct investment. It’s huge but everyone ignores it.” The European policy review was triggered after more than 300 people drowned off the Italian island of Lampedusa in October 2013. Sutherland, who was appointed the UN secretary general’s special representative on migration in 2006, said politicians were too scared to discuss migration in an honest, constructive way. Related: Asylum requests to rich countries at highest point for almost 25 years “In some political environments, it’s considered politically negative to mention the word ‘migration’ – so it’s hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil ...The result is that nobody explains, for example, that the total number of migrants is far less than the popular perception,” he said. “Why don’t they? They don’t because if a politician stands up and says, ‘Look, we have far less migrants than you actually think we have’, then that politician is branded, and so is his party, or that’s the fear, with being pro-migrant and it’s considered to be a negative,” he said. “The conjuncture between migration as an issue, and nationalism and anti-Europeanism is creating a toxic backdrop for an already difficult economic climate in Europe, and this is leading to the growth of movements like Ukip, Le Pen and Geert Wilders and so on across Europe,” he added, referring to Britain’s Ukip party, Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s Front National, and Dutch politician Geert Wilders – all of whom are vehemently anti-immigrant. Sutherland said this toxic backdrop led to “xenophobic and sometimes racist attacks” on migrants, and contributed to the absence of a coherent and realistic debate about the positive fiscal and financial contributions made by many migrants. So far, leaks from discussions on the new policy blueprints reveal measures aimed at stopping people from boarding unseaworthy boats manned by unscrupulous smugglers to cross the Mediterranean. Last year, at least 218,000 people, including migrants and refugees, crossed the Mediterranean by irregular routes and around 3,500 people drowned. On the table is an Italian proposal to outsource sea patrols to North African countries, such as Egypt and Tunisia, by funding and training navies. There are also proposals to establish “reception centres” for migrants in North Africa and the Middle East. Sutherland, who was dubbed the “father of globalisation” during his time as director of the World Trade Organisation, said locating reception centres in North Africa or the Middle East could raise some problems but the advantages were significant. “How many deaths would be avoided? It’s not simply an issue ... of pushing away the problem. If the processing can take place in North Africa, it’s better because it would save lives,” he said. But Ska Keller, a leading German Greens MEP and spokesperson on migration issues, has said called the proposal on sea patrols “cynical”, as it would mean that “rescued refugees are dealt with by countries like Egypt and Tunisia and that they never become the responsibility of an EU jurisdiction”. Sutherland sharply criticised EU states for failing to support Italy’s Mare Nostrum search-and-rescue operation, which was replaced this year by the more limited Triton, which patrols no further than 30 miles from Italy’s coast. “Where are the British ships? Who else is doing it? The Italians were left to do it on their own and nobody was prepared to even financially help them. Let’s grow up,” Sutherland said. In February, the UN refugee agency said around 300 migrants and refugees, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, may have drowned trying to cross from Libya to Europe in one weekend. “There can be no doubt left after this week’s events that Europe’s Operation Triton is a woefully inadequate replacement for Italy’s Mare Nostrum,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres. “The focus has to be about saving lives. We need a robust search and rescue operation in the Central Mediterranean, not only a border patrol.” Amnesty International has also called for an EU-wide mission with at least the same mandate and resources as Mare Nostrum, which saved more than 170,000 lives. “We have to unite in our response to this in Europe,” said Sutherland. “We have to have ... a far more proactive policy development at national level where much of the responsibility is left in the hands of home affairs or justice ministries ... All they think about is stopping people coming in rather than the problem of how to treat them when they do come in.” The UN has drawn up radical plans for an “orderly relocation” of thousands of Syrian refugees from southern Europe to richer countries in the north, and is pressing the EU to agree to a year-long pilot programme. “I think that is important because if you have a temporary settlement you create a capacity to relate to the society,” said Sutherland. While the complex issue of migration could not be addressed by “waving a policy wand”, measures could be taken, such as offering temporary protection visas to asylum seekers to allow them to work while their cases were assessed, Sutherland said. And, above all, lives must be saved as an immediate priority. “We saw what was done with Mare Nostrum ... Why can’t we have a situation where Triton is given resources? This is urgent. And it’s going to lead to internal unrest in Europe unless it is handled,” he said. |