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Philip Hammond grossly overstates the problem of 'marauding' migrants Philip Hammond grossly overstates the problem of 'marauding' migrants
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In Lebanon, a tiny country with a population of roughly 4.5 million, there are up to 1.2 million refugees. Nearly all of them arrived in the past four years, and now they constitute over a quarter of the country’s total population. In Lebanon, a tiny country with a population of roughly 4.5 million, there are up to 1.2 million refugees. Nearly all of them arrived in the past four years, and now they constitute more than a quarter of the country’s total population.
It is useful to bear all this in mind when parsing recent comments by the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond. On Sunday Hammond warned that millions of marauding economic migrants from Africa constituted a threat to European society. After alluding to “desperate migrants marauding around the [Calais] area”, Hammond said: “Europe can’t protect itself, preserve its standard of living and social infrastructure if it has to absorb millions of migrants from Africa.” It is useful to bear all this in mind when parsing recent comments by the British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond. On Sunday Hammond said millions of marauding economic migrants from Africa constituted a threat to European society. After alluding to “desperate migrants marauding around the [Calais] area”, Hammond said: “Europe can’t protect itself, preserve its standard of living and social infrastructure if it has to absorb millions of migrants from Africa.”
Such comments are not credible. There are countries whose social infrastructure is creaking under the weight of refugees – but they are not in Europe. Lebanon, as discussed, has the world’s highest number of refugees per capita in the world. Jordan (population 6.4 million) has more than 600,000. The two countries respectively house 232 and 87 refugees per 1,000 inhabitants – the highest rates in the world. By contrast, Sweden, which is the European country with the highest proportion of refugees, has welcomed just 15 per 1,000. So it is odd to suggest that the world’s richest continent faces social oblivion if it tries to share a bit more of the load.Such comments are not credible. There are countries whose social infrastructure is creaking under the weight of refugees – but they are not in Europe. Lebanon, as discussed, has the world’s highest number of refugees per capita in the world. Jordan (population 6.4 million) has more than 600,000. The two countries respectively house 232 and 87 refugees per 1,000 inhabitants – the highest rates in the world. By contrast, Sweden, which is the European country with the highest proportion of refugees, has welcomed just 15 per 1,000. So it is odd to suggest that the world’s richest continent faces social oblivion if it tries to share a bit more of the load.
Hammond also got most of his numbers wrong. First, the vast majority of boat arrivals to Europe are not economic migrants. Of the 200,000 people to have arrived by boat so far in 2015, 62% are refugees from Syria, Eritrea and Afghanistan (source: UNHCR) – countrices in the throes of war, oppression, or violent extremism, and sometimes all three. Nearly two-fifths are from Syria alone, while refugees fleeing wars in Darfur, Somalia and parts of Nigeria bring the total number of potential refugees to well over 70%. Hammond also got most of his numbers wrong. First, the vast majority of boat arrivals to Europe are not economic migrants. Of the 200,000 people to have arrived by boat so far in 2015, 62% are refugees from Syria, Eritrea and Afghanistan (source: UNHCR) – countries in the throes of war, oppression or violent extremism, and sometimes all three. Nearly two-fifths are from Syria alone, and others are fleeing wars in Darfur, Somalia and parts of Nigeria.
A significant proportion are indeed from Africa, and some of them are fleeing poverty rather than war – a push factor that the international community has deemed insufficient reason to build a life elsewhere. But the number of African irregular migrants to Europe is still under 50% of the total, and many of them, as mentioned above, have an internationally accepted right to claim refugee status. A significant proportion of migrants are indeed from Africa, and some of them are fleeing poverty rather than war – a push factor that the international community has deemed insufficient reason to build a life elsewhere. But the number of African irregular migrants to Europe is still under 50% of the total, and many of them, as mentioned above, have an internationally accepted right to claim refugee status.
Even if they did not, the figures show that these migrants hardly constitute a threat to Europe’s social fabric. Europe’s population is 740 million, while the EU’s is 500 million. It is fanciful to suggest that the richest continent in the world cannot find the resources to absorb a refugee population of 200,000. The numbers at Calais, estimated between 2,000 and 5,000, would form an even smaller proportion of those currently living in the UK. Even if they did not, the figures show that these migrants hardly constitute a threat to Europe’s social fabric. Europe’s population is 740 million; the EU’s is 500 million. It is fanciful to suggest that the richest continent in the world cannot find the resources to absorb a refugee population of 200,000. The numbers at Calais, estimated at between 2,000 and 5,000, would form an even smaller proportion of those currently living in the UK.
Related: UN expert: rich countries must take in 1 million refugees to stop boat deathsRelated: UN expert: rich countries must take in 1 million refugees to stop boat deaths
Beyond facts and figures, there are practical concerns about Hammond’s wider approach. In his statement, he suggested that the solution to the chaos at Calais was simply the increased repatriation of migrants. But many interviewed migrants say they will brave the journey whatever the risks, until there are safe, legal and prompt means of getting to Europe. This suggests that the only logical alternative to the disorderly current nature of migration (the leaking boats across the Mediterranean, the camps at Calais) is not the short-term tactic of repatriation – but conversely, the formal, organised resettlement of a significant number of refugees to Europe. Beyond facts and figures, there are practical concerns about Hammond’s wider approach. In his statement, he suggested that the solution to the chaos at Calais was simply increased repatriation of migrants. But many interviewed migrants say they would brave the journey whatever the risks, until there are safe, legal and prompt means of getting to Europe. This suggests that the only logical alternative to the disorderly current nature of migration (the leaking boats across the Mediterranean, the camps at Calais) is not the short-term tactic of repatriation but, conversely, the formal, organised resettlement of a significant number of refugees to Europe.
Such a process, if implemented on a grand enough scale, could decrease demand for illegal routes to Europe, and increase refugees’ faith in the formal channels of resettlement. Such an ambitious scheme has been achieved before, after the Vietnam war, when western countries welcomed 1.3 million refugees from Indochina. European civilisation survived those marauders, and it could do so again.Such a process, if implemented on a grand enough scale, could decrease demand for illegal routes to Europe, and increase refugees’ faith in the formal channels of resettlement. Such an ambitious scheme has been achieved before, after the Vietnam war, when western countries welcomed 1.3 million refugees from Indochina. European civilisation survived those marauders, and it could do so again.