 |
Not
quite fans of Dublin II. Immigrant children at a detention center in
Filakio, on the Greek-Turkish border, November 5, 2010.
|
According
to To Ethnos, the ‘wall’ that Greece plans to build to curb the
flow of migrants from across its border with Turkey is a desperate
measure that is bound to fail. Only a real international initiative
can hope to offer a genuine solution.
Our
country should not be satisfied with the last two decades of
immigration policy, which have resulted in a situation that is both
alarming and overwhelming. Europe is the destination for a major wave
of immigration prompted by economic, social and political causes, and
if we are to successfully address this problem, we will have to
examine these causes in the countries where they prevail.
Only
then will we be able to develop policies that can appropriately
address this issue. This is a project that is clearly beyond the
means of a single nation, but should be the responsibility of both
Europe and the United Nations.
An
astonishing irrelevance
Greece
cannot be used as a ‘wall’ and as the sole destination country in
Europe simply because it is located on the main access route for
migrants. No progress will be possible without a serious European
migration policy, and as this is unfortunately lacking, we will have
to focus all our efforts on the drive to develop such a policy.
The
first priority should be the reform of the Dublin
II regulation, which blocks refugees at their point of entry into
the EU, thus transforming a transit country into a final destination
for thousands of migrants. Both Greece and Europe will have to take
action to develop policies to deter migrants and at the same time
policies that ensure humane conditions for those that do arrive in
Europe.
The
truth is that the Evros ‘wall’ is an astonishing irrelevance. No
barrier in history has successfully impeded the flow of migration.
And the decision to build a ‘wall’ is all the more surprising in
that it represents a phobic and inward-looking response in a world
where policies are supposed to be open and transparent. Finally,
there are serious doubts about the efficiency of this measure which
does nothing to tackle the root of the problem.
Traffickers
might demand higher rates from asylum seekers
If
the deterrent effect of a barrier on the border was supported by a
genuine migration policy with revised conditions for the granting of
asylum and funding for reception centres, it might even be a positive
development. But there is no guarantee that such measures will be
established. As it stands, the ‘wall’ will simply serve to
present a ‘tough’ line to the media, and may even enable human
traffickers to demand higher rates from asylum seekers.
In
a wider context, Europe will have to develop a common immigration
policy to ensure that Greece is not the only destination for migrants
and to address the root of the problem. And this can only be achieved
through serious work and a commitment to an ongoing effort.
10
January 2011
To
Ethnos,
Athens
