WAR, persecution and poverty have driven millions of people from their homes, with many making perilous journeys in search of greener pastures. Yet with the global economy not in a healthy phase, and far-right groups everywhere pinning the blame on migrants, states are struggling to deal with the crisis. The issue of irregular migration was on top of the agenda as European leaders met in Spain on Thursday. According to UN figures, around 186,000 people arrived in Europe during the first nine months of the current year, with over 2,500 perishing while trying to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean. This includes hundreds of Pakistanis who drowned in the Greek boat disaster in June. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called for “Europe-wide solutions” to address the crisis. Mr Sunak’s stance is almost progressive compared to the scaremongering of his Home Secretary Suella Braverman on the issue of migrants. Ms Braverman, herself the child of immigrants, told a Conservative Party moot that a “hurricane” of migrants, “uncontrolled and unmanageable”, confronted rich states. Such characterisations seem to echo the language used by far-right white nationalist groups. But Europe is not alone in confronting the migrant tide; the US has seen hundreds of thousands of people from Latin America cross its southern border every month, while Pakistan has also taken questionable steps to send Afghans back to their country.

Whether it is the US, Europe, or Pakistan, all those seeking refuge and fleeing violence need to be dealt with compassionately and humanely. Migration is essentially the result of a highly unequal world, where the have-nots of the Global South seek to pursue their dreams in the glittering cities of the Global North. According to the International Organisation for Migration, most migrants coming to Europe this year are from war zones (Syria, Afghanistan) or states undergoing financial turmoil (Egypt, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Pakistan). For those fleeing conflict, many of these wars have been sponsored by the West. If the US and Europe can spend trillions on waging war, surely they can shell out far smaller sums to help rehabilitate victims of conflict on their soil or in safe states. As for those fleeing fragile economies, including ours, the truth is that more equal societies need to be built so that people don’t have to risk their lives in search of a future overseas.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2023