I was planning on writing about migration someday. But the EU elections made me do it now. In Germany and Austria, migration was the most important motivation to vote.
Not climate, not inflation, not even war was the top motivation. It was migration. It’s no surprise. The topic is omnipresent in the media, thanks to well-made propaganda of the far right with support from Russia and poor journalism.
Of course, the far right does not have any solutions, they are the problem.
There has always been migration
There has always been migration and there will always be migration. In fact, all the people in Germany and Austria and every country in the world are there because of migration. Except maybe the people of Eastern Africa.
As old as migration are the issues with it. I can imagine that the people in the Stone Age weren’t happy when they saw a stranger. They simply didn’t know if he/she is a friend or foe.
But we have developed further since the Stone Age, at least in one case, knowledge. We now can know anything about other cultures, why someone has come to our country, and how to deal with it. But we do not care about the knowledge, we just listen to our primal instincts. At least some of us do. And shady politicians use this to their advantage.
I don’t say, there are no problems. As I mentioned earlier, there have always been issues when people of different cultures clash together. The migrants don’t even have to be from far away. Austrians had the same issues with Czech People, a neighbor country with a culture very similar to the Austrian.
Stimmungsmache gegen tschechische Schulen – Deutsches Volksblatt (30.1.1911):
Urleiwande Mischkulanz Lesung; Gestaltung: Hannes Gaisberger, Stefan Bergmann und Christof Sorge
Der christlich-soziale Gemeinderat Gussenbauer auf einer vom Gau Wien der Südmark einberufenen
Versammlung:
Es ist ja naturgemäß, dass ein Volk, das in der glücklichen Lage ist, eine ausserordentliche
Volksvermehrung zu besitzen und in seiner Heimat nicht sein Brot findet, gezwungen ist,
auszuwandern. Begreiflicherweise geht der Zug in die größeren Städte, da hier der höhere Lohn
lockt. In letzter Zeit ist aber der Zuzug der Tschechen zu uns nicht mehr normal, sondern wird
planmäßig gefördert, um uns Deutsche zu verdrängen und Wien zu erobern. Die Tschechen, die
eingewandert sind, sich hier den Magen gefüllt und ein warmes Nest gefunden haben, fordern jetzt
die Errichtung tschechischer Schulen. Das würde Millionen kosten und wir deutschen Steuerträger
sollen es zahlen.
Incitement against Czech schools – Deutsches Volksblatt (January 30, 1911):
via Google translate
The Christian-Social Councilor Gussenbauer at a meeting called by the Gau Vienna of the Südmark:
It is only natural that a people who are in the fortunate position of having an extraordinary population increase and who cannot earn a living in their homeland are forced to emigrate. Understandably, the migration is to the larger cities, as the higher wages are tempting there. Recently, however, the influx of Czechs to us is no longer normal, but is being systematically encouraged in order to displace us Germans and conquer Vienna. The Czechs who have immigrated, filled their stomachs here and found a warm nest are now demanding the establishment of Czech schools. That would cost millions, and we German taxpayers should pay for it.
The reasons for the xenophobia and racism are variegated. Like most of the issues I write about. One may say the system is the real issue.
Two side of a coin
What makes the topic even more complicated, it cannot be seen one-sided. Both sides need to make changes.
For example education. The lack of it is a big problem. The more educated people are, the less they are xenophobic. And on the side of the immigrants, the better they can integrate in a new environment. It’s easier to learn a new language, for example. Good education for everyone is key for a good system.
But Europe doesn’t only need highly educated doctors and developers. Europe needs handymen, nurses, electricians and so on. Nothing speaks against that they are also highly educated. In fact, they often need a great skill set. In society, these “blue collar people” are often not seen as specialists, but as someone who takes away jobs from the everyday Joe’s. Jobs the autochthonous people even don’t want to do, but are highly needed.
No Migration, No growth
Because the population in many countries only grows because of migration. If population growth is a good thing or not is a topic for another time. But right now our system only works if there is growth. Also, when the population gets older, there is more need for blue collar jobs. Today most of the time is taken care of the elderly by the family, the women of the family to be exact. The lack of respect and the need for money and for the freedom of choice, women want and need to work for money to sustain the life they have.
Often there is no family, who can care. Society has to help and for this we need people, who do the work.
Educated people from poor countries can benefit from this situation. Since many countries need them, there is a competition between them for the best people. When you as a foreigner can choose where to go, why should you go in a country, where you most definitely will face problems because of your heritage?
Fortress Europe is a prison
The extreme right parties may be successful with their policy of a fortress Europe, but they will do only harm to their own countries. In the last centuries, Europe was a big profiteer of culture and influence from the immigrants. This will get lost. Without migrants, we can’t sustain the economy. The far right policies will crush the economy. The present economic system needs to be changed but with a plan, not by destroying it.
Gimme shelter
The only ones who will come, are the ones, who haven’t a choice. Refugees.
The one group where there shouldn’t be any discussion if we give them shelter. Especially Austria and Germany, where so many people were forced to emigrate and seek shelter in other countries. We have to help people in need. Even, if they are bad people.
Do we have to accept, that some of them don’t respect our values? Of course not. They have to get punished the same as anyone else, if they don’t obey the law. But before that, we should do everything possible, that they don’t commit a crime. This can’t be prohibited for 100%, but most of the crimes can be prevented.
How should they even respect our values, if we cramp them into facilities with questionable infrastructure, if we treat them like animals, if they only see racism? It is two-sided.
I would not deport criminals to their homeland. If they are refugees, they have a reason why they are here. So sending them back, wouldn’t be safe for them. Or maybe the deported would get free right away and could commit the same or another crime there. Or they could come back and do it here again.
In my opinion, you should always face punishment in the country you commit the crime. But the juridical system is a topic for another time.
Conclusion
This article got really long, and it only scratched the surface of the topic. It is complex, and you can’t expect simple answers to it. I know people want that, because they are scared of everything they read in the media or racist politicians tell them all the time. Or maybe because they have experienced it themselves. When people are in fear, they want a strong man to lead them. A phenomenon we can see worldwide.
This is foolish, this is human, this is one of the flaws of our democratic system.
Don’t be a foolish, Stone Age human. Be a modern human and educate and inform yourself. And go out there and meet some of the strangers. You’ll see they are not stranger than you.
My name is Ian DeBay.
I am the founder of iandebay.com. I am a content creator, blogger, podcast, YouTuber. This is my blog where I talk about system change, sustainability and other fun stuff.