Once again, the migrant crisis is being used as a scapegoat for the government’s failings
On November 24th 2021, the English Channel saw its worst migrant tragedy on record. A boat carrying 34 people across the seaway deflated, leaving 31 dead along with an unborn baby. A year on, charities have stated that the government has done nothing to prevent this from happening again and fear there will be more unnecessary loss of lives in the future. Once again, the suffering of refugees has been used to deter attention away from the government’s failings and recession.
The neglect of refugees as a deterrent has led to catastrophic and terrible circumstances. Refugees from the overcrowded Manston holding centre were abandoned and left stranded on the streets of London without food or accommodation earlier this month. The lack of care and safeguarding has resulted in reports of sexual assault of children at hotels holding asylum seekers in London. These Home Office “hotels” have left asylum seekers in vulnerable and dangerous conditions, without a regard to their safety. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has called for further investigation and review from the Home Secretary.
With promises of further action and top priority by Suella Braverman and Rishi Sunak, their words fall empty and only seem to echo their predecessors promises and legacies. Theresa May’s ‘hostile environment’ transitioned into Priti Patel’s treatment of migrants with the Rwanda Asylum Seeker Plan, has gave way to the criminalisation and dehumanisation of those fleeing. The Tories policy of cruelty and hostility to migrants has failed to handle and to realise itself into change; this raises questions of accountability, as much as the government will deflect blame for the loss of lives onto other countries and circumstances, blood is on their hands.
‘Us vs Them’
Historically, immigrants and migrants have been used as a scapegoat for much of the country’s problems. The use of the us vs them narrative, the idea of the ‘other’ has long punctuated British politics. Much of the Brexit campaigns placed the migrant crisis as a key centrepiece, and studies found that the Brexit vote unleashed a wave of xenophobia.
Whilst the conservative government will promote an international UK – it is with the legacy and remains of the British Empire. The treatment of non-white as subjects rather than citizens is still an undercurrent in our policies as evident of the 2018 Windrush Scandal. What is clear is if it does not threaten or challenge the system, performative and palatable multiculturalism is given a pass. The introduction of ‘British Values’ in schools with ‘respect and tolerance’ being included, becomes a stark contrast with the hostile polices being enforced. As a nation we pride ourselves with our history of offering sanctuary and welcoming immigrants. But as highlighted by Nikesh Shukla’s compiled essays, The Good Immigrant, there is an expectation and pressure to be successful to be ‘worthy’ to live in Britain – otherwise be deemed a ‘bad immigrant’. It is conditional. Yet, we have also seen the generosity of the government and public well with the treatment of Ukrainian Refugees – the Homes For Ukraine scheme was successful however that same generosity has not been applied to non-European refugees. What the Tories want is an idealised narrative of an international UK without actual implications of its meaning.
Why is there a current migrant crisis?
This is not the first migrant crisis, nor will it be the last. Over the years, we have witnessed several crises: the Ugandan-Asian Refugee Crisis to the recent Syrian refugee influx, what is apparent the lack of progression in the how the government has handled this situation every time it arises – and it will always be there. The recent migrant crisis can be traced to the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011 which unfolded into the European Refugee crisis in 2015. However, it should be noted that it is not just Syrian refugees, but also significant numbers of Afghans, Nigerians, Pakistanis, Iraqis and Eritreans and economic migrants from the Balkans. Driven by conflict, persecution and deprivation – many wish to settle permanently.
The Climate Crisis has also added the possibility of further displacement due to climate disasters – a group largely forgotten about. As warned by Mia Mottley at COP27, the PM of Barbados: “We need to have a different approach, to allow grant-funded reconstruction grants going forward, in those countries that suffer from disaster. Unless that happens, we are going to see an increase in climate refugees. We know that by 2050, the world’s 21 million climate refugees today will become 1 billion.”
Spectacle of Suffering – The impact of Headline Journalism
Suella Braverman’s inflammatory language of ‘An invasion of refugees’ has reenforced the dangerous political rhetoric that migrants and refugees are sub-human, greedy and a danger to society. Her comments fail to reflect the reality of how many refugees are granted asylum in the UK compared to other EU countries. According to official figures by the OMO, the UK received eight asylum applicants for every 10,000 people across the country in 2020/21, the figures show. In Comparison with just under 23 for Germany and just under 18 in France. Cyprus received 153 applicants for every 10,000 people in the country, the highest among 32 European countries. Albania’s Prime Minister, Edi Rama, has stated that: “It’s not about one person. It’s about the climate that has been created, and it’s about finding scapegoats and blaming others.” He continued that the language used by Suella Braverman had “fuelled xenophobia” against the Albanian Community in order to distract from policy failures.
The choice of words used: ‘invasion’, ‘crisis’, are exaggerations to induce fear and panic, much of the situation is used to sensationalise and pull the public’s attention and to divide rather than unite our community. The suffering of those crossing the channel is used as voyeurism and morbid entertainment, as was the case in 2020 where Sky News was accused by Labour MP Zarah Sultana of treating them as a “grotesque reality TV show”.
Rishi Sunak’s New Deal
The Conservatives solution to tackle to migrant crisis is to further criminalise; under the New Deal with France, the UK will be paying annual payments of £63 million from £54.8 million in order to help the police control the border. However, is this simply putting paper into cracks? Increased militarisation has proven to be an ineffective strategy and policy. Whilst further cooperation is needed in order to effectively handle the crisis, treating migrants as criminals and the lack of care in their safety. There is an emphasis on numbers and thresholds rather than recognising the people. As stated by Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the Refugee Council:
“Rather than setting a quota for people seeking refugee protection, the government must work with other nations to share responsibility for what is a global challenge. This should include an ambitious target to expand safe routes such as family reunion and UN resettlement programmes so that people don’t have to take dangerous journeys to reach the UK.”
The vital work of charities and volunteering cannot be underestimated in the context of the migrant crisis. Often, they’re at the frontline and the glue of communities in crisis. Student Action For Refugees (STAR), was established in 1992 by students at the University of Nottingham who were inspired by the idea of a society that welcomed refugees. Since then, around 44 STAR groups across 31 towns and cities have been set up.
Speaking to Kit, President, and Tao, Campaign Coordinator, from Leeds STAR, what is clear is the importance of education, awareness and engagement of the crisis and community. When asking about the impact of their work they stated that “the connection and presence of volunteers was significant in making refugees feel welcomed, not the government.”
When asking Kit about their goals as a society, he continued “to get people switched on, increased engagement and outreach within the student community as the impact of the pandemic had affected their numbers of volunteers.” I asked whether Suella Braverman’s comments had impacted their work: “never underestimate the power of language and how it plays on tropes . . . that we can subvert right-wing narratives and be proud of multiculturalism. It continues the idea that leaving home is a choice for these people when in reality they have faced violence and loss.”
Likewise, I asked whether they felt the university was doing enough to support, Tao criticised the passivity of the university’s stance on human rights in comparison to other universities. He stated that: “the sanctuary scheme for refugees and asylum seekers is much lower in Leeds compared to elsewhere like Bradford, and the Vice-Chancellor has no intention in changing the intake, which further strengthens the importance of the work of STAR.”
From what is certain is that the migrant crisis will not disappear or resolve itself unless there are collaborative and more humane approaches to the issues. The criminalisation and prejudice against migrants further aggravate the issue rather than the root cause. There are viable and more accessible alternatives – we don’t have to do extremes of either flinging the doors open or completely shut. A safer and fairer asylum system needs to be implemented as this situation is the impact of policy and government failures.
For more information about Leeds STAR:
STAR Website: https://star-network.org.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leeds_star/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarAtLeeds
LUU: https://engage.luu.org.uk/groups/KB7/student-action-for-refugees
Other links:
PAFRAS: https://pafras.org.uk/
LASSN: https://lassn.org.uk/
Header Image Credit: Flickr
