TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Opinion: Aurorita Mendoza On the European Refugee Crisis #refugeecrisis

Monday, September 21, 2015

Opinion: Aurorita Mendoza On the European Refugee Crisis #refugeecrisis

"In my dealings with migrant communities ...I find that they are just like you and me."
~ by Aurorita Mendoza, International Consultant on International Affairs

AURORITA MENDOZA, an International Consultant on International Affairs, answers my questions about the current European Refugee Crisis. Aurorita attended Maryknoll College in the Philippines and worked for years at the UNAIDS as Regional Program Adviser and Advocacy Adviser. She now lives in Switzerland.

She says she is not an unbiased stakeholder on issues related to migration. For several years now, she has been engaged in the field of migration, particularly from the perspective of migrant health, doing research, policy and program development, and collaborations with institutional and civil society mechanisms. Her area of specialization is the Southeast Asian region, but the factors fueling migration as well as migration policy and program issues cut across regional borders. Her perspectives are based on interactions with Bhutanese refugees during her three years in Nepal and working on migrant issues in the Mekong region. This engagement is the basis of her belief that the response to migration/refugee crises in any part of the world must be a non-discriminatory and humanitarian one.

~~~~

Cecilia Brainard: Is the current refugee crisis affecting you? How?

Aurorita Mendoza: I am not personally directly affected by the current refugee crisis unfolding here in Europe. But what is of concern to me is the growing negative attitude of many communities towards refugees, which is more overt, and towards foreigners in general, which is more covert. This negativity, rooted in a mix of economic, security, and social issues, is the prevailing context in which the current migration/refugee situation is taking place. In a nutshell:

Because of sluggish economies in Europe, nationals fear that migrants/refugees will be a huge economic cost and will exacerbate unemployment.
Migrants/refugees are viewed as a population harboring terrorists or encouraging terrorism.
Integration of migrants/refugees within communities is hindered by non-hospitability of local populations to differences in socio-cultural values and practices, including religion.

We now see a trend in countries, such as France, UK, Switzerland, Austria, towards anti-migration policies. These policies aim to reduce the numbers of foreigners and promote discriminatory practices, such as ineligibility to benefits and services local populations receive. These policy directions reflect an increasingly negative environment at community level that politicians tap into or exploit in justifying non-acceptance of refugees.

In my dealings with migrant communities in Asia and with some African migrants here, I find that they are just like you and me. We have the same life aspirations – decent livelihoods to meet basic needs, education for our children, and a supportive social environment. They are unable to realize these aspirations in their own countries, thus driving them to other countries where they believe they would have better opportunities. There is absolutely no evidence that migrants are a burden to host countries.

In terms of refugees seeking asylum due to conflict or disasters, they are actually eager to resume normalcy in new countries. However, this is prevented by a lengthy asylum-processing period, which causes great uncertainty and insecurity among them. During this period, they continue to experience hardship in their transit locations (sometimes just as dire as in their countries of origin), which they endure in the hopes of getting a better life in their final points of residence.

CB: What do you think of the response by the various countries to this crisis? (I’m thinking about Germany, Hungary, France UK, US, Arab countries, etc.) Can the response to the refugee crisis be better? Any ideas how?

AM: The current response is evidently inadequate and unrealistic, given the magnitude/numbers who leave their countries. The refugee crisis is largely conflict-driven, i.e., Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan. Syria alone has 12 million displaced people, and 4 million are reported by UNHCR as registered refugees. The EU does not have a common and coherent policy on how to deal with this crisis. Although the EU has a Common European Asylum System, the implementation among countries is variable. Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, have been and to a lesser extent, France and the UK, have agreed to receive refugees. But the EU response needs to be unified, comprehensive, and long term in order to arrive at durable solutions to a crisis of this magnitude. Strategies must be put in place throughout the migration cycle – at countries of origin, of transit, and of destination – aimed at protecting them and helping them rebuild their lives. Furthermore, solutions are needed at all levels: firstly, at policy level, stronger political and leadership will, rather than political resistance, are needed; secondly, at bureaucratic levels, to ensure policy implementation is effective and needed services are provided; and at community level, to create more hospitable environments within host countries. Quick action to re-locate the hundreds of thousands now in Italy and Greece is urgent.

CB: The troubles in the Middle East and Africa have been going on for some time now. Do you think the refugee crisis has gotten worse recently? If so, why?

AM: Absolutely, the crisis is now more dramatic. As long as conflicts and economic inequalities continue, migration will be a dynamic in Europe. There is an urgent need to address the conflicts at the countries of origin, preventing them from becoming failed states. Supporting their economic development will require long-term commitment from political leaders, as this will be a requisite for their own national security as well

The numbers have grown, with entire families (previously only a family member leaves, with the family following after the asylum application is approved) now making the dangerous journeys to flee their countries. This adds a new layer of challenge, in which a more family-oriented response must be considered.

CB: Many worry that extremists will sneak into European countries along with the refugees – do you think this is possible? Any other thoughts about this?

AM: The politics of migration have been framed largely from a security lens; thus, the knee-jerk reaction is to refuse them entry. It is always possible for potential terrorists to take advantage of the chaotic situation and join the population flow, which is currently uncontrolled. Thus, an important action is to immediately improve the preparedness of and procedures in the reception centers in countries of entry, such as Greece and Italy. Bureaucratic efficiency and competence in these centers must be upgraded to facilitate re-location and the establishment of new lives for refugees.

CB: Can you share any other ideas and thoughts you may have about the politics and issues related to the current Refugee Crisis?

AM: The longer the EU drags its feet in arriving at a common policy and agreement on numbers of refugees member countries will accept, the more complicated the challenges become. One can expect the numbers of undocumented migrants will increase, as the refugees will feel pressures to seek paid work during the waiting period. Undocumented migrants are among the most vulnerable among migrants, because they are out of the mainstream, not seeking and receiving any social services, e.g., healthcare, for fear of being deported. They are engaged in high-risk, short-term and low-paying occupations, such as, fishery, sex work. Because of their illegal status, they are highly mobile – moving from place to place – and have very limited access to any services.

CB: Thank you, Aurorita.