Alphen, Netherlands. 4 August. Dante’s
warning in the Inferno seems apt for
a Europe facing mass irregular migration.
Trapped between the ‘let’em all in’ lobby and the ‘Chicken Little
society will fall’ lobby most of Europe’s leaders have done what they always do
when strategy, policy and politics do not align – little or nothing. There is
neither effective national policies in place nor any semblance of effective
pan-EU co-ordination. The sad reality is that Europe’s politicians have ducked
and weaved around a strategic challenge that has been long in the making. So, what must be done to balance the
responsibility to protect migrants and protect host populations from the
destabilising impact and indeed dangers posed by mass irregular migration? Here is some food for thought.
Understand the scale of the challenge: According to the UN mass
irregular immigration into Europe represents some 3% of global movements. Still, the figures are daunting. According to the BBC over 200,000 irregular
migrants crossed the Mediterranean in 2014 with a similar number expected in
2015. They are a diverse bunch of people and range from those seeking escape from
persecution and/or war or to those who seek a better life.
Face up to the challenge: An effective policy will require action
that will appear at times tough. There are no easy solutions to this crisis and
political leaders must be honest about that before policy can be created and
strategy enacted. The reasons are manifold. Any attempt to exert the necessary policy
control over chaos would involve concentration of peoples, followed by processing
and in many cases deportation. For many
Europeans there would be echoes with the holocaust and the Nazi persecution of Jews
and minorities. Liberal European
governments have also been constrained by Universalist human rights legislation
that they created in the aftermath of World War Two in what was a very
different age.
Be honest about the challenge: Mass irregular immigration has the
potential to destabilise European societies but Europe needs migrants. For example, according to the National
Institute for Economic and Social Research (NIESR) most irregular migrants seek
to reach the UK not to claim mythically-generous welfare benefits but to enter
Britain’s notorious black economy. It is
naïve in the extreme to believe that uncontrolled mass irregular migration does
not carry with it real dangers for European societies, be it via a boost to
criminal networks or via the importation of the very extremism that many of the
migrants are fleeing. Equally, Europe’s
ageing populations need migration for societies and economies to continue to
function. Therefore, more legitimate avenues for migration need to be created.
Make necessary changes to policy: One reason that mass irregular migration
is taking place is that the EU’s Schengen Area has failed. Free movement across borders within the EU
depends on effective control of the EUs external borders. Those controls have
effectively collapsed and free movement across inner-European borders is being
exploited by criminal gangs almost at will.
Therefore, effective controls need to be re-established both within
Europe and at the EU’s external borders.
Critically, there is no point in the likes of Britain and France lecturing
Greece and Italy about the need to do more without offering support to better control
inflows of irregular migrants. Fail to
do so and the ‘beggar thy neighbour’ policy of encouraging migrants to move to
neighbouring countries will continue and sour relations between European
states.
Rebuild popular trust in immigration and asylum procedures: Swedish
Foreign Minister Wallstrom is right when she says that the entire immigration
and asylum system in Europe is in danger of breaking down. Therefore, something new must be tried. A
joint system (and I mean ‘joint’ not another European Commission power grab) of
control and assessment at Europe’s borders is needed. And yes that will mean the establishment of humane
camps in places like Italy and Greece in which officials from all EU
member-states quickly assess an individual’s right to remain. Such a system
will demand strong action. If an individual fails to gain asylum then he or she
must be deported from Europe quickly. If an individual seeks to hide their country
of origin then experts in language and dialect must be employed to help
identify from where that person hails.
And, if countries of origin refuse to accept the return of such irregular
migrants European aid must be cut.
Critically, each individual must be treated with respect and each case
judged on its merits. Referring to
people as “swarms” is not helpful.
Take a holistic view of the challenge and have the political courage to
act: Any solution will take time, Europe to act together, and a proper
understanding of the drivers and mechanisms behind mass irregular migration.
Critically, the pipelines of irregular migration will need to be rolled back
and that will take sustained collective action.
Effective policy will require the establishment of a complex framework that
combines effective border controls, policing, immigration and asylum
assessment, offensive action against trafficking gangs, and support through aid
for those communities most likely to migrate to Europe.
Recognise the price of failure: Like many European citizens I am
conflicted over the issue of mass irregular migration. At one and the same time
I feel threatened by the scale of such migration, what it could mean for the
future well-being and cohesion of my society, and my need to show humanity and compassion. Equally, I have also completely lost faith in
my leaders to confront and meet the many challenges posed by mass irregular
migration. As a seasoned political
analyst and historian I know that neither the hard left nor the hard right
offer any solutions to this crisis (or anything else for that matter). However,
failure by mainstream political leaders to grip this crisis will only
accelerate the dangerous drift towards political extremism and populism that
Europe’s seemingly endless economic crisis has spawned. That would indeed be a
price that is both too high and too dangerous to pay. Get a grip leaders!
Julian Lindley-French
