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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-May-2011
13-May-11 News -- Europe's immigration crisis strikes at heart of European Union

Web Log - May, 2011

13-May-11 News -- Europe's immigration crisis strikes at heart of European Union

Thousands of African migrants head for Italy

Europe's immigration crisis strikes at heart of European Union

As the United States tries to deal with its own immigration problems on the border with Mexico, the growth of right-wing nationalism in Europe is creating a crisis that strikes at the very heart of the EU project.

A highly emotional photo of Mitterand and Kohl at Verdun in 1984 (Spiegel)

A highly emotional photo of Mitterand and Kohl at Verdun in 1984 (Spiegel)

Denmark has said that it plans to unilaterally enforce stricter border controls, in violation of a 1995 agreement called the "Schengen Agreement," signed by the EU nations, guaranteeing an "open border" policy among EU nations, according to France24.

Denmark was heavily criticized at a special meeting of EU interior ministers, according to the AP. According to the Hungarian minister:

"Currently, the majority view is that one country should not be in a position to make a decision like that. That might trigger a chain reaction that might shatter confidence in other countries. So we do not want to let it happen."

The controversial Danish policy was lead by the right wing Danish People's Party (DPP), and one poll found that 75% of Danes backed the new policy, according to UTV (Ireland).

But some Danes fear that the legislation will be ineffective at fighting crime and will damage national reputation. According to a history teacher quoted by the article:

"It is an expression of xenophobia. I guess Pia Kjaersgaard [the DPP leader] is scared of all the people who will come flooding up from the Arab countries. Presumably, the idea behind this is to catch criminals but it is border control officers who are at the borders, not police. Unless the officers have police privileges it doesn't make any sense."

Schengen countries and refugees from Africa (Spiegel)

Schengen countries and refugees from Africa (Spiegel)

Security threat: Flood of migrants from Africa

Indeed, it's the flow of refugee migrants from northern Africa and black Africa that's motivating this change in policy. Italy and France are planning to implement some border controls to stop the flow of migrants who travel to Italy hoping to reach France and then the UK. Some 25,000 Tunisians have already reached Italy, and thousands more are taking to the sea in overcrowded and unseaworthy boats, according to Jamestown.

According to the article,

"Last year, Mu’ammar Qaddafi struck a €50 billion deal with the European Union to regulate its borders as a “transit country” for refugees and economic migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite this payoff, Qaddafi has not hesitated to use it against Europe, threatening to “turn Europe black” if various demands are not satisfied (Der Spiegel, February 24). The French minister of foreign affairs, Laurent Wauquiez, has warned: “Libya is the funnel of Africa. Flows of illegal immigrants from countries such as Liberia, Somalia and Eritrea pass through Libya. We must defend our frontiers on a European level. What we're talking about isn't a few tens of thousands of illegal immigrants who could arrive in Europe; it's a potential 200,000 to 300,000 this year” (Radio France Internationale, March 2)."

With the possibility that some of these migrants will be terrorists, there's a real security threat to Europe in this wave of migrants, although it's not clear to me how border controls between Italy and France will make much difference.

In contrast to this security threat is the concern of a lot of people that ending Europe's "open borders" policy could mean the end of the entire EU project. (Imagine if the United States implemented border controls between states within the Union.)

The end of the European project?

Referring to the photo at the top of this report, a Spiegel commentary tells how things have changed:

The photo has been reprinted enough to be branded into the collective memories of Germany and France. It shows Helmut Kohl and Francois Mitterand standing hand-in-hand during a 1984 commemoration ceremony at Verdun. Their gesture illustrates the astounding reconciliation that took place between their respective nations after two world wars. Today, its emotionalism is both moving and oddly foreign.
Back then, what would ultimately become the European Union was more than just a body for administering financial transfers between member countries. When people talked about "Europe," they focused on the big issues: open borders, international understanding, war and peace. These weren't just empty words but, instead, things that statesmen like Kohl and Mitterand felt deeply about. And since it came from the heart, people believed in what they said.
This passion has disappeared from the debate over the European Union. Indeed, these days, merely saying that the European idea transformed a war-torn continent into an island of freedom and stability would seem rather quaint to most. Now the issue is whether Europe can even be prevented from becoming a transfer union -- or, in the words of Germany's tabloid press, how much we want "to pay for the lazy Greeks?"

This is generational change at its height. Kohl and Mitterand had lived through World War II, when they were enemies. America was traumatized by 9/11, but Kohl and Mitterrand lived through several 9/11's every day for several years. To them, this moment must have seemed the pinnacle of their lives. Today's officials, by contrast, have little sense of that history.

"Today, everyone agrees that xenophobia and populist parties are gaining ground. Extremism and discrimination are major threats against our societies," says Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, quoted by Zaman. "We all need to be in solidarity across Europe in regard to our common values."

Davutoglu is talking about Muslims in Europe, but he might have said the same thing about Japanese in China, Han Chinese in Xinjiang, Americans in Mexico, Coptic Christians in Egypt, or any of hundreds of other examples around the world.

I've been writing about xenophobia for years, because it's predicted by Generational Dynamics as occurring in every generational crisis era. Typically, xenophobia continues to worsen, exacerbated by population growth, shortages or resources like food and water, and increased nationalism, leading to wars of extermination. In today's world, those wars of extermination will spiral into the Clash of Civilizations world war. As the Europeans give up their most prized accomplishments, it's happening right before our eyes.

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 13-May-11 News -- Europe's immigration crisis strikes at heart of European Union thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (13-May-2011) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-May-2011 13-May-11 News -- Europe's immigration crisis strikes at heart of European Union

Europe's immigration crisis strikes at heart of European Union

Security threat: Flood of migrants from Africa

The end of the European project?

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 13-May-2011
13-May-11 News -- Europe's immigration crisis strikes at heart of European Union