Europe’s Self-Serving Politics on ‘War on Terror’ Refugees
October 22, 2021
People stranded at sea or languishing in refugee camps worldwide are only
welcomed if they serve as political capital, writes Ramzy Baroud.
A refugee camp in Turkey that members of the European Parliament visited on
Feb. 10, 2016. (European Parliament, Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
By Ramzy Baroud
Common Dreams
Language is politics and politics is power. This is why the misuse of language
is particularly disturbing, especially when the innocent and vulnerable pay the
price.
The wars in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern, Asian and
African countries in recent years have resulted in one of the greatest
humanitarian catastrophes, arguably unseen since World War II. Instead of
developing a unified global strategy that places the welfare of the refugees of
these conflicts as a top priority, many countries ignored them altogether,
blamed them for their own misery and, at times, treated them as if they were
criminals and outlaws.
But this is not always the case. At the start of the Syrian war, support for
Syrian refugees was considered a moral calling, championed by countries across
the world, from the Middle East to Europe and even beyond. Though often
rhetoric was not matched by action, helping the refugees was seen,
theoretically, as a political stance against the Syrian government.
Back then, Afghans did not factor in the Western political discourse on
refugees. In fact, they were rarely seen as refugees. Why? Because, until Aug.
15 — when the Taliban entered the capital, Kabul — most of those fleeing
Afghanistan were seen according to a different classification: migrants,
illegal immigrants, illegal aliens, and so on. Worse, at times they were
depicted as parasites taking advantage of international sympathy for refugees,
in general, and Syrians, in particular.
The lesson here is that Afghans fleeing their war-torn and U.S.-occupied
country were of little political use to their potential host countries. As soon
as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, and the U.S., along with its NATO allies,
were forced to leave the country, the language immediately shifted, because
then, the refugees served a political purpose.
Luciana Lamorgese in 2014. (Ministero Interno, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)
For example, Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese was one of the first
to advocate the need for European support for Afghan refugees. She told a
“European Union forum on the protection of Afghans” on Oct. 8, that Italy will
work with its allies to ensure fleeing Afghans can reach Italy via third
countries.
The hypocrisy here is palpable. Italy, like other European countries, has done
its utmost to block refugees from arriving at its shores. Its policies have
included the prevention of refugee boats stranded in the Mediterranean Sea from
reaching Italian territorial waters; the funding and the establishment of
refugee camps in Libya — often depicted as “concentration camps” — to host
refugees who are “caught” trying to escape to Europe; and, finally, the
prosecution of Italian humanitarian workers and even elected officials who
dared lend a hand to refugees.
Former Mayor Sentenced
The latest victim of the Italian authorities’ campaign to crack down on
refugees and asylum-seekers was Domenico Lucano, the former mayor of Riace in
the Southern Italian region of Calabria, who was sentenced by the Italian Court
of Locri to over 13 years in prison for “irregularities in managing asylum
seekers.” The verdict also included a fine of €500,000 to pay back funds
received from the EU and the Italian government.
What are these “irregularities?”
“Many migrants in Riace have obtained municipal jobs while Lucano was mayor.
Abandoned buildings in the area had been restored with European funds to
provide housing for immigrants,” Euronews reported.
Domenico Lucano, the former mayor of Riace, Italy, in 2017. (CC BY-SA 2.0,
Wikimedia Commons)
The decision was particularly pleasing to the far-right Lega Party. Lega’s
head, Matteo Salvini, was the interior minister of Italy from 2018-19. During
his time in office, many had conveniently blamed him for Italy’s outrageous
anti-immigrants’ policy. Naturally, the news of Lucano’s sentencing was
welcomed by Lega and Salvini.
However, only rhetoric has changed since Italy’s new interior minister,
Lamorgese, has taken office. True, the anti-refugee language was far less
populist and certainly less racist — especially if compared to Salvini’s
offensive language of the past. The unfriendly policies towards the refugees
remained in effect.
It matters little to desperate refugees crossing to Europe in their thousands
whether Italy’s policies are shaped by Lamorgese or Salvini. What matters to
them is their ability to reach safer shores. Sadly, many of them do not.
A disturbing report issued by the European Commission, on Sept. 30, showed the
staggering impact of Europe’s political hostility towards refugees. More than
20,000 migrants have died by drowning while attempting to cross the
Mediterranean on their way to Europe.
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“Since the beginning of 2021, a total of 1,369 migrants have died in the
Mediterranean,” the report also indicated. In fact, many of those died during
the West-championed international frenzy to ‘save’ the Afghans from the Taliban.
Since Afghan refugees represent a sizable portion of worldwide refugees,
especially those attempting to cross to Europe, it is safe to assume that many
of those who have perished in the Mediterranean were also Afghans. But why is
Europe welcoming some Afghans while allowing others to die?
Political language is not coined at random. There is a reason why we call those
fleeing in search for safety “refugees,” or “illegal immigrants,” “illegal
aliens,” “undocumented,” “dissidents,” and so on. In fact, the last term,
“dissidents,” is the most political of all.
In the U.S., for example, Cubans fleeing their country are almost always
political “dissidents,” as the phrase itself represents a direct indictment of
the Cuban Communist government. Haitians, on the other hand, are not political
“dissidents.” They are hardly “refugees,” as they are often portrayed as
“illegal aliens.”
This kind of language is used in the media and by politicians as a matter of
course. The same fleeing refugee could change status more than once over the
duration of his escape. Syrians were once welcomed in their thousands. Now,
they are perceived to be political burdens to their host countries. Afghans are
valued or devalued, depending on who is in charge of the country. Those fleeing
or escaping the US occupation were rarely welcomed; those escaping the Taliban
rule are perceived as heroes, needing solidarity.
However, while we are busy manipulating language, there are thousands who are
stranded at sea and hundreds of thousands languishing in refugee camps
worldwide. They are only welcomed if they serve as political capital.
Otherwise, they remain a ‘problem’ to be dealt with — violently, if necessary.
Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of the Palestine Chronicle. He
