Europe is an old land of immigration. Its geography is favorable to the movements of populations even though we may deplore that too often they were military movements! History is the second factor of this phenomenon. The Europeans were the first immigrants all over the world. This took place as they made discoveries and started colonization, it was also a mean for many poverty-stricken population to find a solution for their own situation. The first immigrations were not a matter of choice. They were imposed by the first European occupants to provide a manpower for the great farms in North and South America. It was slavery. Later, movements were imposed towards Europe from Asia and Africa, and in a smaller extent from Eastern Europe to “feed” the firms with a docile and obedient manpower economically exploitable, so to speak.
When we speak of migration and help to development, history must not be forgotten: we must not forget the responsibility of Europeans in these movements of population. But we must also envisage the future and consider the evolution of a world which is more and more open and interdependent, but more and more fragile, not to say dangerous.
What is Europe doing?
As far as help to development is concerned the European Union is the first world-financier and provider, it is one of the public powers to grand funds and subsidize who are still behind in their development. In 2014 the EU devoted 59 billion of Euros to this aid and more than 68 billion in 2015. To this we may add one billion and 500 million of food help.
The specificity of the EU is to guarantee a minimum purchase price on raw materials and various agricultural or farm products, this enables these countries to supply their budgets with their own resources.
Nevertheless we ought not to be hypocritical. A non-negligible part of this money returns to Europe thanks to the intervention of European firms and / or concerns the sale of manufactured goods. We must also regret that an important part of the development aid, though not expressed in figures, be diverted by the local “elites” in power.
What are the proposals of the EU?
In his address on the State of the Union, on September 14th Jean-Claude Juncker announced the launching of an investment plan for Africa, and three neighbouring countries of about 44 billion, a sum that could be increased up to 88 billion if the EU member-States decide to contribute. The aim is to maintain development which could slow down the exodus of population.
Would this be enough? Not at all!
What is to be done?
Probably change the post-colonialist vision of the Europeans and who always mix solidarity and charity. Africa, the Near ad Middle East regions, do not need charity! From the Europeans they need solid, reliable and durable partners; from the Europeans they need a new vision of their relations with this continent which is their future: this entails a new vision on migration.
What can really be done for migration to be chosen and just not suffered any more?
The first of the actions to be undertaken is to contribute to build the peace in the Near and Middle East. We should not let non-democratic countries (Russia, Turkey, Iran…) impose their models in that part of the World. As long as a lasting peace, respectful of the populations in their diversity is not established the conflicts will multiply, hates will develop and Europe will be the vanguard of terrorist attacks and of the immigrant’s flows trying to find security and enough to live with dignity.
We must also support the democrats more willingly and cease dealing with the dictators. If we want honest leaders dealing with the interests and well-being of their peoples we must not change the men in power but prepare new leaders ready to take over responsibilities.
We must invest massively according to a model of participation so that big firms, tradesmen, shop keepers, craftsmen, farmers of these continents may live from what they produce. This also entails to help seriously the development of education and the access to health or medicare and the distribution and control of water and electricity.
How can these goals be reached?
It seems to me that five points should be brought into play to reach these goals and at the same time to satisfy European populations:
- to have an integrated European foreign and defence policy,
- to have a common European immigration and refugee policy,
- to establish a Euro-African common market adapted with a convenient size to both continents,
- to reinvent euro-mediterranean agreements under the shape of a confederation,
- to reconsider the European model and promote a vanguard, conceived as the first stage towards federation.
To succeed on all these points we must also consider the evolution of demography all over the world.
In 2025, the world will have eight billion inhabitants. Asia will count more than 60% of this figure, followed by Africa with 16,5%; this continent will increase more steadily since its population in 2050 will pass over two billions and certain demographic projections show that it might become the first continent in the world in 2050 with more than four billion inhabitants.
Continents or parts of continents which mark real gaps follow behind. North America loses nearly 70 million inhabitants compared with 2011 to beat 5%; Europe loses more than 40 million of “nationals” to beat 9%; and 7% in the EU of 28 member states); South-America increases by more than 200 million inhabitants to reach nearly 9% of the world population; only Oceania remains at 0,5% of this population.
The main lines of the future for Europe are clearly situated in Africa and towards the rest of Europe. This is the reason why we must sustain the evolution of these zones with which we shall have to build our future, Russia in the East, the Near and Middle East in the south east and Africa in the South.
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