Daily Times

The 21st century was supposed to be a borderless one. And it is. At least in terms of First to Third World or, rather, the more palatable Global South. Especially when it comes to multinational companies and the like. The opposite holds true when the traffic dares to flow in reverse. No matter if individuals or groups are attempting to flee persecution, including, economic degradation.

This is something Angela Merkel knows a thing or two about. After all, the German Chancellor this week effected a U-turn regarding her long-held principle of not turning migrants away at the border. Including those passing through other EU points of entry. This was the sacrifice she made to appease her coalition partner and to save her political life. In real terms, this translates into an agreement to set up “transit centres”. The idea being to hold asylum seekers that have filed applications in other EU states before sending them back. Thereby rendering these little more than detention facilities; prisons by another name.

Yet this is not an exclusively German ‘vision’. Far from it, sadly. For during last week’s EU summit, the 28-member bloc went one step further to agree on establishing “disembarkation platforms” in non-member states. And in a nod to its colonial past, the Union envisages countries such as Niger, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt as being the host nations. None of the latter, however, have thus far agreed to participate in such audacious outsourcing. All of which suggests that developing nations are not buying the official line that these platforms are aimed at preventing the all too common and perilous boat journeys undertaken by migrants. But are instead simply interested in passing the buck. After all, most of the world has yet to forget the veritable horrors of the Calais Jungle; that notorious migrant and refugee camp that sprang up on French soil and recast the so-called enlightened continent as the true face of darkness.

It is regrettable that the EU is neither considering the long overdue matter of paying reparations to those whom individual member states ruled over, looted and plundered; nor, indeed, offering those still suffering from the devastation of this overhang the chance for more. And is, by contrast, to paraphrase Doctors Without Borders, content to treat people as commodities; without rights. As goods to be bartered on the open market for money or else political recognition.

This is global capitalism’s underbelly. And it favours the rich while either vilifying or dehumanising the poor. Thus the EU must be called out on this front. It is but the first step to de-legitimising such practises.  *

Published in Daily Times, July 4^th 2018.