Pictured above: Dr Derek Lutterbeck, Mr Kahin Ismail and Mr Jamil Addou discussing migration at the launch of the Know the Facts publication. Photo credit: UNHCR/Diana Iskander

A full house participated in the public debate on migration organised by the European Parliament Office in Malta in partnership with UNHCR Malta on Thursday. The public debate is part of the European Parliament’s campaign for citizens www.thistimeimvoting.eu  – in Malta www.diddarbasenivvota.eu/ –  aiming to give citizens a voice in the run-up to the European Elections on 25 May 2019.

“In these elections I am going to vote as a European because I am a European even though my name is Ahmed not Joseph”.

These were the strong words uttered by an EU citizen of African origin during a debate organised jointly by the European Parliament Liaison Office and the UNHCR on the subject of migration. Many speakers underlined the need to differentiate between migrants and asylum seekers. Not all are fleeing poverty, many are fleeing war and oppression, participants in the packed Europe House debate underlined.

Introducing the discussion, acting Head of the European Parliament Office in Malta  Ms Anna Zammit Vella noted the debate was being held in response to the Maltese public’s response in the latest Eurobarometer survey, published last week, where once again migration was highlighted as the main topic of concern by Maltese respondents in the context of the European elections. This data shows that whilst migration is once again the top concern for Maltese people in the last Eurobarometer EU-wide survey to be published before the elections, conversely migration does not feature at all among the top concerns of Maltese or other European citizens participating in the campaign This Time I’m Voting, which the European Parliament has launched to encourage citizens to vote and to give citizens a platform for their opinions on which direction the EU should take in the next five years. She added that migration is also less of a concern to the majority of Europeans now, with the Eurobarometer clearly showing that migration, in contrast to climate change is seeing its significance as a campaign topic diminish. Studies show that whilst Maltese people are top amongst Europeans in perceiving migration as a problem rather than an opportunity, they are also amongst the top Europeans who consider that immigrants help to fill jobs for which it’s hard to find workers. She outlined the European Parliament’s position on the reform of the Dublin system based on solidarity, and noted that no agreement has been reached at EU level as Council remains blocked. Handling this issue will be for the next European Parliament elected Europe-wide in May together with Member State governments in the Council.

Dr Lutterbeck, from the Mediterranean Academy for Diplomatic Studies, observed that it was perhaps a good thing that migration has moved down the list of priorities amongst EU citizens in that it highlights the fact that migration issues have been consistently blown out of proportion in Europe. On the other hand, European citizens need to ask the question “at what cost however has migration declined?” While numbers of migrants have decreased, numbers of deaths have increased, journeys have become more dangerous and rescue operations more difficult, not to mention the number of migrants stuck in Libya. The keynote speaker pointed out as a factor certainly worth considering the demographic decline in Europe: at present trends, without immigration in 50 years’ time European populations risk becoming half what they are today, with the associated impact that this will have on social security and pensions in Europe. A more open and rational attitude to migration could very well be the most reasonable solution to counter this decline, he said, citing it was one of the solutions.

Mr Kahin Ismail, Malta Representative ofUNCHR echoed the concerns, stating that legal and physical barriers were going up as numbers or migrants were going down. This is why UNHCR, together with the EP Office in Malta, are launching the publication of Know Your Facts: to address the simple facts about migration, and to counter the misconceptions and misinformation surrounding the issue. Currently, for instance, a record 70 million persons are displaced worldwide because of war and conflict and the majority of these are displaced in their own country or neighbouring ones. He noted that in discussion of the 2015  migration crisis in the EU, when one million immigrants went through its borders, there is a failure to put the issue into perspective and consider that Lebanon alone received the same amount and that Turkey has to date absorbed 3.6 million refugees. In the EU the problem was politicized and the real crisis became a crisis of response, Mr Ismail noted. This crisis of response is the issue of main concern to UNHCR, which is why Know The Facts also focuses on 7 key actions that are the responsibility of all of us but in particular of  elected officials and candidates. The object of the booklet is also to contribute to a constructive discussion and debate in terms of protection and integration. The booklet was launched to the public at this discussion, and is also being presented by UNHCR to candidates for the 2019 European elections, as was done also in the previous elections.

Mr Jamil Addou, interim Executive Director of EASO noted how asylum is an obligation under international and EU law, not an option. Hence, EASO stresses the importance of having fair and protective procedures in place but also procedures that are safeguard against abuses. Applications for asylum should be treated in the same way and should have the same outcome across the EU.

Questions from the public focused on why the economic benefits of  migration was not being stressed by politicians, how the EU can have a common immigration policy when not all European countries have the same economic necessities amongst others, and on the connection between the rise of the far right and migration.

In response, Dr Lutterbeck noted there are no votes in selling the positives of migration, and agreed that demands on EU countries are quite different, noting also that the situation in terms of labour needs also touches on the other issues such as the reform of labour laws. He added that we must also not be simplistic in coming to conclusions: has the rise of far right been caused by migration or has the right wing used migration to gain votes? He pointed out that, with the situation in the Mediterranean, basic rights are being reduced so much that the bottom-line issue is now the fundamental right to life.

Mr Ismail stressed that Europe has to deal with issues collectively and that Europe needs to have at least an interim protection mechanism. He emphasized that both perceptions and that the imagery we use are important, and that we need to be very mindful how we project our message. In the run-up to the European elections it is imperative that parties and candidates use responsible language, as what is at stake are the lives of vulnerable people.

There was agreement between panellists and audience on the need to have an operational common EU system to handle migration flows instead of the current ad hoc arrangements.

Mr Addou concluded by saying that if you are a member of the EU, in principle you commit to the same values. In response to questions of cultural incompatibility he noted that this is not his experience as persons with Muslim backgrounds are also working within the EU respecting its values. The EU is what we – people and governments – make it, he said.

The EU was also criticised for privileging certain policies that seem to favour migration.

Ms Anna Zammit Vella pointed out that in addition to the Common European Asylum policy, which was the main topic of discussion, the EU has a number of complementary policies including the Blue Card to encourage legal migration, development cooperation policies, EU funds, a border and coast guard policy to safeguard borders against organised crime and terrorism, amongst other policies that address the complex and multi-layered issue of migration. The discussion aimed to  debunk some the myths surrounding migration: for instance, based on data from public surveys that the EU conducts, Europeans systematically overestimate the presence of immigrants in the EU – in the latest figures by more than twice the number of actual immigrants, and this is one of misconceptions that can be addressed by facts.

The UNHCR publication Know the Facts is available online at https://www.unhcr.org/mt/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2019/05/UNHCR-Know-the-Facts-2019-.pdf 

 –