What do you and your country think is a solution to the ever increasing migration problem?

What do you and your country think is a solution to the ever increasing migration problem?

“Hello, my name is Steve and I come from Syria, I am 24 and I am a student of architecture”. “Hello, I am Idriss, I am from Afghanistan, 22, bodybuilding professor”. “Hi, I am Ali, I come from Pakistan, I am 24 years old and I got my license in statistics and economy”. This is the words of refugees in “the jungle” of Calais (North of France), staging area to get to England (33 km). Approximately 6,000 migrants, for the most part all political refugees, are currently living in the precarious conditions of the camp. France and Europe in general, face one of the most serious migration crisis in its contemporary history.

France is however, the oldest immigration country of Europe. From the second half of the 19th century, a mass immigration has come to bridge the labour shortages. The decision of immigration about pay employment decided by the Government in 1974 has accelerated the non-Europeans family reunification, few to go back to their region while the Europeans progressively enjoyed freedom of movement, work and installation.  

With the rise of xenophobic parties, the dismantlement of a part of the Calais camp, the summit between UE-Turkey, new arrival of 130 000 migrants, an unpredictable terrorism are all activities that explain the renewed interest for the issue of migration at the beginning of this year.

The proof is that “we”, Europeans, have not been able to found a common approach to the issue of refugees.

In The Financial Times, Emmanuel Macron indicates that, in the case if the Great-Britain would decide they are leaving the EU or not (23rd June); France will not withhold the migrants.

So we can ask a question regarding the ever increasing migration problem: too much Europe or not sufficiently?

First, we will talk about the situation of France with this issue, and in a second part we will see what could be the solutions.

We first need to put things in some context by asking why and how. From the mid-19th century to the 70’s, the leading cause of immigration in France is economic, due to the French needs in labour force and migrants needs (that generally come from disadvantaged countries). From 1975, there has been a wave of immigration for reasons of family reunification.

OCDE considers that migrants play a decisive role in the economic growth for long-term and invites countries to not close the boarders even in times of crisis.

The French government, initially opposed to the quota measures, supports subsequently a principle of a permanent and obligatory mechanism to distribute the refugees in Europe. The 7th of September, the president François Hollande indicates that France is ready to welcome 24,000 refugees over 2 years. The crisis has led the French government to get involved in the Syrian conflict so as to dry up the main source of migratory movements. It is in this context that F. Hollande announced that France would lead air strikes against Daech in Syria.

However, we observe from the particular context that covered the country that France has some reservations. The first minister Manuel Valls stated that France “could not welcome all those who flee the conflict zone”. According to the New York Times “France is afraid to find herself isolate with Germany in a Europe where there is no majority for Merkel politic. [About Valls] What he less admits is his feeling of powerlessness faced to national egoism and growing xenophobia. The fear, the late reactions of welcoming and the denial of accompanying them marked the crisis of migrants”.

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