THE DEBATE ABOUT migration and asylum is just about the most toxic political issue in Europe, especially on social media. It is impossible to keep up with the disinformation and the false narratives so here are, from my perspective, seven common myths about asylum seekers and migration:
1. ‘Ireland is full’
Ireland has one of the lowest population densities in Western Europe. The Netherlands has a population density is 424 people per square kilometre. In the UK, the figure is 276 and in Ireland, it is 72.
Even if you focus on public services, Ireland ranks among the wealthiest countries in the world and if we can’t fulfil our obligations under the Geneva refugee convention now, we will never fulfil our obligations.
More generally, the EU opened its borders to Ukrainians since the Russian invasion – by now, just under six million have arrived, far in excess of the one million that triggered the ‘migrant crisis’ in 2015.
2. ‘The EU is hopelessly divided on the subject and cannot agree on next steps‘
After years of blockages at the European Council, the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum is starting to make significant progress towards agreement.
In June, the Home Affairs Council reached an agreement on two files that had been problematic. Overall, there are 11 legislative proposals at different stages but now the way appears much clearer for final agreement. Five are already concluded with four more under discussion before the recent breakthrough. However, it will still be difficult to finalise these files before the European elections in June 2024.
3. ‘Migration is out of control and most migrants are here illegally’
Migration is normal and works both ways. Every year three million migrants come to live and work in the EU legally, half of them for work.
Every year 1.5 million Europeans leave to live somewhere else. The latter are anachronistically referred to as ‘ex-pats’ rather than migrants. 700,000 get European citizenship every year. Only a third of irregular migrants seeking asylum arrive here illegally. The rest overstay visas and other permits
4. The presence of NGO boats in the Mediterranean encourages human trafficking
There is no proven case that NGO boats act as a pull factor for risky migrant journeys. A study by the European University Institute found that the presence of NGO boats did not correlate with the number of migrants leaving Libya by sea.
Migrants really take their lives into their own hands. The most dangerous sport in the world is base-jumping with a death rate of one in 2,300 (banned in most places). The migrant death rate on the central Mediterranean route is, conservatively, one in 21. In other words, it is 100 times more dangerous than jumping off a skyscraper with only one parachute.
What they are fleeing from is more dangerous than the Mediterranean. And many bring their children as we saw following the shipwreck in June at Pylos, Greece.
5. ‘Out-sourcing migrant rescue and control to Libya, Tunisia and Turkey is working’
Migration is like water – if you stop it in one place it will flow somewhere else. While numbers initially reduced, they climbed in 2022 and early 2023. Meanwhile, another problem has been created which is the imprisonment and torture of those ‘rescued’ by the Libyan authorities.
It has created a ‘migration industry’ in these countries where money (much of it EU money) can be made by mercenaries, smugglers and private militias seizing and detaining migrants.
6. ‘EU financial support to these autocratic governments for migration control does not carry any human rights risks’
The EU says it carries out human rights assessments yet when requested to provide these reports it said it carried out, the European Commission was unable to provide them despite repeated requests from Dutch MEP Tineke Strik.
The EU has channelled billions of euro through the EU Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa into migration control programmes including providing surveillance equipment.
It was also reported by the New York Times in 2020 that the EU funded an Eritrean roads project (through the EUTF) even though forced conscripts were used in the project. The EU had no way of monitoring it.
7. ‘A recent European Parliament vote ensured the resumption of EU-led Search and Rescue in the Mediterranean’
It is true that the EP supported a resolution in June to demand the return of EU-led SAR however this resolution is not binding and a decision on this rests with the Member States including the Irish Government.
There are many other common myths including that immigrants take our jobs, deplete social protection budgets and fail to integrate. The debate on migration has the potential to fuel far-right political movements if these myths are not regularly challenged.
Barry Andrews is MEP for Dublin and co-negotiator of the EU’s proposed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.
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