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This is where we’re at now. Border guards of an EU country shoots at migrants, tries to ram their boats to overturn them. And people say ‘But what else can we do?’ 1/
Actually, people have been saying this for a long time. For, however shocking that video, the only thing unusual about it is that it’s EU border police doing this rather than those of neighbouring countries that the EU pays to do its dirty work. 2/ kenanmalik.com/2019/12/02/an-…
EU-paid Libyan coastguards have long been shooting at migrants. And EU money has created a kidnap-and detention industry throughout North Africa, the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and East Africa. It’s bought mass detention, abuse and torture. 3/ kenanmalik.com/2018/06/11/loo…
It's made deals with the likes of Omar al-Bashir, former leader of Sudan indicted for war crimes. It relies on groups such as rebadged Janjaweed, a militia that pursued almost-genocidal violence in Darfur, to police immigration. 4/ eritrea-focus.org/open-appeal-to… aljazeera.com/blogs/africa/2…
The EU pays for governments and militias in Libya, Morocco, Niger, Ethiopia, Eritrea and many others to lock anyone thought to be migrating to Europe and colludes with the abuse, torture and extortion. 5/ amnesty.org/en/latest/news…
So, what are the alternatives? Well, let’s begin by accepting that mass kidnap, detention, torture and killings are not acceptable. Then, let’s think about how to liberalise migration controls and how Europe as a whole takes responsibility. 6/
Equally importantly, we need to think about how to win argument for more liberal policies. Liberalization without a democratic mandate will not work. 7/
There’s no iron law that says that people will be hostile. They have become so because of the way that immigration has been framed by politicians, policy makers and commentators, presenting migrants as invaders and Europe as a continent under siege. 8/
To do this might require more courage and imagination than mainstream politicians may possess. They certainly find it easier to create a climate of hostility than to defuse one. 9/
It’s easier to strike deals with Turkey and Eritrea to lock up would-be-migrants than make the case that Europe needs to deal humanely with migrants that land on its shores. And our moral sensibilities have become so warped that we accept this as inevitable. 10/
‘If you liberalise policy, then the whole world will walk in’, comes the response. Actually, no. With the exception of 2015/16, which were unusual years driven by events in Syria… 11/
…the numbers of undocumented migrants to the whole of Europe every year has usually been less than the numbers of documented migrants coming just to Britain. 12/
There will undoubtedly be higher numbers with more liberal rules. But the choice we face is whether we want to win people to such a policy and make it work or insist on strengthening ‘Fortress Europe’. 13/
Of, course many will dismiss liberalisation as Utopian, and insist that what Europe needs is tighter controls. You’re entitled to that view. But, then, don’t rely on euphemisms such as ‘border controls’ or ‘regulation’. 14/
Be honest enough to say, ‘I’m happy to accept mass detention, torture and killing as a price worth paying for keeping undocumented migrants out.’ 15/
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