October: migration and social justice

In recent political campaigns in Europe and the USA we’ve seen the complex issue of migration abused to flush opponents ratings and boost political scores by stirring racism and phobic sentiments. What connects these events is the use of “emergency” and “crises” to focus on migration as a temporary problem.

When we shift the lens onto migration as a global issue, a different picture unfolds. Attentive to the histories that operate in refugees' and many other people’s everyday lives we come to realize that only a few can afford a choice whether to stay, leave or return. In Brussels, Berlin and London however, policy makers focus on border control, readmission agreements and financial transfers for reintegration assistance in “safe” countries. Critics of current migration policies argue that the developed world has turned a blind eye to botched solutions, risks the ideals of global humanitarianism, and ignores historic developments and social injustices that play out in people’s decisions to flee. In the emerging realities, the reported numbers of arrivals in Europe stay high and quick fix solutions such as temporary protection, detention and repatriation are no longer sustainable.

So why is it that people flee and how can we approach the issue of migration in a world riven by armed conflicts and rising social inequalities? Through events, projects and analysis, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung tries to answer these questions. Since June 2016, it provides regular updates on a designated web portal (in German). In the month of October, learn more about the things we especially liked in the work by FES, its partners and friends, on this month’s dedicated theme ― migration and social justice.

Read on and engage!

Your FES Connect Editorial Team