The images are frightening. We see caravans of migrants crossing Central America on their way to the United States. We see boats filled to the brim off the coast of Florida or in the Mediterranean. In border towns, we see hordes of young men on the streets, destitute, jumping the barriers of detention centres, living in squats, sometimes addicted to drugs.
European countries and the United States claim to be so overwhelmed that they delegate their borders to Mexico, Turkey and the countries of North Africa. They pay them to process asylum applications before the migrants have set foot in the destination country. The detention centres are inhumane and the migrants jump the barriers to get to their destination. The barrier is very easy to jump. Migrants enter countries illegally because it is inhumane to ask to enter legally. So they don’t assert their rights.
Faced with these terrifying images, we hear the Right telling us that these illegals must be punished more severely, and we hear the Left telling us that there are no problems with migrants. These migrants work for a tenth of the price and cannot assert their rights before a judge. The people most affected by migration are the rural and poor. The result of this situation of irregularity is to create an extremely cheap labour force that cannot compete with European or American labour. Western countries draw up lists of jobs in labor shortage that the inhabitants of these countries supposedly no longer want to do. Western governments give visas for these jobs, forcing the current inhabitants to accept poor working conditions. It’s shameful, given the GDP of these countries. It is legitimate to feel helpless when faced with these migrants. The fields in the United States and Europe are full of illegal workers and the fields are not controlled. The current policy simply creates more scope for employers. The people living in rural areas are concerned, and only the right wing is addressing them.
Human trafficking represents a huge reputational risk for producers. These are not risks taken by those who think in the long term. These are people with financial means who can move their capital with two clicks of the mouse.
In the short term, many migrants are arriving at the borders of the West and there is no reason why their treatment should not be organised in humane conditions. Those who wish to assert their right to asylum do not deserve prison. Europe’s right-wing parties are calling for an end to medical aid for migrants. Migrants are at greater risk of contracting infectious diseases because of the ordeals they have been through. Looking after their health means looking after the health of everyone. Health is a human right (article 25 of the universal declaration of human rights).
In the long term, the European and North American powers have largely contributed to making the countries of the South unliveable. We must stop actively destroying these countries. Multinationals must be held criminally responsible when they commit an act in these countries that would be a crime in the West. They must be tried in the West for pollution, subversion, corruption, forced labour, child labour, etc. On the other hand, the West can and must support democratic regimes when they emerge in these countries. African revolutionaries have all been killed. This has to stop.
It is only under these conditions that development aid can be effective. If we give development aid when these conditions are not met, it feeds corruption. Only effective development aid will create decent living opportunities in these countries and reduce the number of migrants.
Taking stronger action on climate change is also important to ensure that these countries do not become hellholes.
If these countries end up receiving a fair income from their resources and labour, they will become long-term customers and trading partners and will be able to deal with the sanitary problems that threaten us all.
Comment l’Europe sous-traite à l’Afrique le contrôle des migrations (1/4) : « Frontex menace la dignité humaine et l’identité africaine » – Le Monde: https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2023/09/06/comment-l-europe-sous-traite-a-l-afrique-le-controle-des-migrations-1-4-frontex-menace-la-dignite-humaine-et-l-identite-africaine_6188169_3212.html
Mexico makes agreement with US to deport migrants from its border cities as one mayor warns his city is at ‘a breaking point’ – CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/23/us/mexico-us-border-patrol-agreement-migration-surge/index.html
L’intégration des travailleurs migrants sur le marché du travail:
Les politiques et leur impact – ILO: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_protect/—protrav/—migrant/documents/publication/wcms_201037.pdf
Immigration : le Conseil de l’Europe dénonce un “système hypocrite” qui appuie son économie sur plusieurs millions de “travailleurs invisibles”– France TV: https://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/europe/migrants/immigration-le-conseil-de-l-europe-denonce-un-systeme-hypocrite-qui-appuie-son-economie-sur-plusieurs-millons-de-travailleurs-invisibles_5896273.html#xtor=CS2-765-%5Bautres%5D-
‘A lot of abuse for little pay’: how US farming profits from exploitation and brutality – The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/25/us-farms-made-200m-human-smuggling-labor-trafficking-operation
À qui profite l’exil ?: https://www.editions-delcourt.fr/bd/series/serie-qui-profite-l-exil/album-qui-profite-l-exil#:~:text=En%20adoptant%20une%20vision%20humaine,de%20la%20fermeture%20des%20frontières%20%3F
L’appel de 3 000 soignants : « Nous demandons le maintien de l’aide médicale d’Etat pour la prise en charge des soins des personnes étrangères » – Le Monde: https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2023/11/02/l-appel-de-3-000-soignants-nous-demandons-le-maintien-de-l-aide-medicale-d-etat-pour-la-prise-en-charge-des-soins-des-personnes-etrangeres_6197818_3232.html
VIDEO. ” Vous vivrez une colère du secteur médical comme jamais vous n’en avez vécu”. Face à la suppression de l’Aide médicale de l’Etat, les médecins menacent: https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/occitanie/haute-garonne/toulouse/video-vous-vivrez-une-colere-du-secteur-medical-comme-jamais-vous-n-en-avez-vecu-face-a-la-suppression-de-l-aide-medicale-de-l-etat-les-medecins-menacent-2869469.html
Champagne, l’envers d’un terroir | ARTE Regards: https://youtu.be/tMjoCKKzqPM?si=PG96jKeMGquI0x1K
Michel Berger – Chanter pour ceux qui sont loin de chez eux: https://youtu.be/VbyKJ3xm1Sg?si=y2irnujhi2mRxZDL
Jean-Jacques Goldman, Sirima – Là-bas: https://youtu.be/zFwaRmpzvjo?si=woY6YMy0U7Io_BIE
