What we don’t say about the refugee crisis?

The migrant crisis “risks bursting the E.U. at its weak seams,” said Stefano Stefanini, a former senior Italian ambassador now based in Brussels.

“It’s more dangerous than the Greek drama and more serious than the Euro, because it challenges fundamental European accomplishments and beliefs.”

When Europe is not able to proof to its citizens that it can control who is entering the European Union and we shall have more attacks on our society like last weekend in Paris than we shall have a bigger problem.

In the future we shall have to face emigration for other reasons than just the political ones, because our environment is changing so much that certain areas on this globe shall be unable to provide enough life chances for any living being (man, animal and plant).

We must calculate that also environmental factors often force people to migrate, to move from one country or region and settle in another, due to climate change, land degradation, and the lack of jobs in urban cities. The economical emigration shall not lessen in our society but become a reality also for people living in the Euro zone, having to look for work in other countries than the country of origin or birthplace.

The United States of America as well as Russia also shall have to take into account such change in local circumstances and having people moving around in their own state, just to find the right work or to have a decent income to be able to survive.

At the same time to avoid internal problems, because of the differences between locals and migrating people, in the education system it has to be build in that people shall have an open attitude for other cultures, traditions and faiths. To get social integration the minds of all have to be prepared to be open minded and to respect freedom of speech, thought and religion.

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Eritrean Semhar Haile reflecting on what’s missing from media coverage of the refugee crisis, and on how simplistic representations perpetuate old stereotypes about the global south.

‘refugee crisis’ =  one of the most talked about topic at the moment.

Western mass media’s attention to the ‘crisis’.

Fundamental reason for the displacement of refugees.

underlying reason for increasing displacement of many Eritreans

Often refugee crisis blamed on ‘ineffective states’ + states with an ‘authoritarian’ nature + lack of democracy > makes perfect sense to remove these ineffective or ‘failed’ states => in reduce flow of refugees from global south to north.

accusing ‘ineffective’ states as sole reason for displacement= simplifies various complex reasons leading to displacement.

ignoring legacy of colonialism, neo colonialism, global neoliberalism, + increasing inequalities

many structural causes of displacement often overlooked + environmental factors

global + domestic inequality increasingly widening

economy weakens day by day => not having the luck to survive through remittances = left behind.

important to have a wider understanding of the global political economy, and its role in the increasing mass displacement.

reason for displacement >refugee status > well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion => if displaced due to wider structural causes = almost impossible to grant refugee status ==> reproduce ‘the right story’ = to gain refugee status

Ali Farzat

 

Preceding articles:

Human tragedy need to be addressed at source

Poster: Please help the refugees

Real progress leaves nobody behind

Swallowed in the Sea but belonging to earth

The natural beauties of life

How to make sustainable, green habits second nature

Vatican meeting of mayors talking about global warming, human trafficking and modern-day slavery

Republican member of Congress from Arizona to boycott pope’s address over climate change

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Additional reading:

1. A smile of Steel and Moving forward in the European Union
2. Science, 2013 word of the year, and Scepticism
3. USA Climate Change Action Plan
4. Greenpeace demands scale up of ecological farming
5. Vatican against Opponents of immigration
6. Three pillars of sustainable development, young people and their rights

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Further reading:

1. Migrant Boat Overturns Near Greek Island, at Least Nine Dead
2. Why Climate Change Skeptics & Evolution Deniers Joined Forces
3. Teacher Outcry at Students Detention
4. bleeding heart
5. America’s Response to the Paris Attacks is Deplorable.
6. Paris, in Retrospect
7. Her name….Mother of Exiles
8. Reflections of an Agnostic Regarding the Current Crisis
9. Welcoming the Refugee – Choosing to Walk Away from Fear
10. Should Canada stop bringing in Syrian refugees because of the Paris attacks? Experts say no.
11. What Malcolm Tucker and the Refugee Crisis have taught us all.
12. Polish Patriots Marched Against The Muslim Invasion
13. Get Real
14. Key Republicans Call for Suspending Syrian Refugee Resettlements
15. Why Can’t We Take Out These Bastards CNN Reporter Asks Obama
16. If You Are Going To Watch This – Be Prepared To Be Blown Away #ParisAttacks #PrayForSyria ISIL
17. Gay Man Fears Mass Muslim Immigration
18. Syrian refugees: Quebec immigration minister says security won’t be compromised
19. Myth of Islamophobia after #ParisAttacks
20. Shorter Obama; Feckless Again
21. Feelings on Refugees, Post-Paris Attacks
22. Helga Zepp-LaRouche: We Need A Public Debate On The Real Interests Of All Nations
23. After Paris attacks, Syrian refugees shunned in U.S. over terror fears
24. Should We Even Get Involved? (refugee crisis thoughts, pt.1)
25. Prepare for war
26. Brussels Connection Under Spotlight After Paris Killings
27. In Justin Trudeau’s ‘Canadastan,’ you get arrested for speaking out against Muslim terrorist attacks in Paris
28. Polish football fans send clear message to muslims and islam
29. And now what?
30. Wholeness that knows no end
31. A Hotel runned by refugees
32. Children of Men
33. World leaders warn – it has begun: Welcome to World War III
34. Governor Rick Snyder: No more Syrian refugees in Michigan
35. The other side
36. The Meaning of Paris
37. A clarification
38. #ParisAttack Gives France The Opportunity Send Troops Into Syria After Fake Passport Found
39. Paris attacks: Passport linked to terrorist complicates Syrian refugee crisis
40. ISIS IS a problem but it ain’t the only one
41. Now Confirmed French Government Knew Extremists Before Attack
42. Solidarité: The Paris Attack and the Refugee Crisis
43. Be Not Afraid
44. Syrian Refugee Crisis
45. It’s the Muslims Who Suffer
46. Major Intelligence Failures By French Security Before #ParisAttack

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Becoming adult

Semhar Haile reflects on what’s missing from media coverage of the refugee crisis, and on how simplistic representations perpetuate old stereotypes about the global south.

The ‘refugee crisis’ is one of the most talked about topic at the moment. In fact, many people only learnt about the existence of certain countries such as Eritrea due to Western mass media’s attention to the ‘crisis’. The Wall Street Journal dedicated a whole article on Eritrean refugees currently residing in Ethiopian refugee camps. The article, titled African Dictatorship Fuels Migrant Crisis, tries to understand the underlying reason for the increasing displacement of many Eritreans, and it attempts to look at the crisis from various perspectives, by interviewing refugees and some Eritrean government members. The article concludes by identifying the ‘Authoritarian State’ as the fundamental reason for the displacement of refugees.

The above conclusion is not new. Often the refugee crisis is blamed on ‘ineffective…

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