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The Great Wall Of Europe : Land Of The Privileged Few

Decent Essays

Komal Shahzad
100984987

The Great Wall of Europe: Land of the privileged few
There’s been a lot of talk recently about the Syrian refugee crisis. It’s the new hot topic whenever anyone touches on issues of immigration. However, there is a more persistent and arguably larger immigration “crisis” that we need to address; and that is the North African migratory movements. Europe has dealt with North Africa many times as a place of immigration and transit, often times very badly. For many, the original question of “security vs acceptance” was borne from the legal and illegal movement of African migrants. And lately, it seems that Europe has decided to err heavily on the side of caution, implementing sweeping measures focused on sending all migrants back. However, the problem does not only lie in this approach, but also their tacit policy of accepting high-skilled workers from the many struggling countries in Africa. There is then a dual effect in progress – that of the countries losing their best and brightest and all the while receiving almost no material help in dealing with the struggling poor left behind. This leaves the countries in a crippling cycle of under-development, while all Europe does it gain young skilled workers.
The countries then at the forefront of the migrant crisis are Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya. All are relatively poor and deal with significant social and political unrest, especially after the Arab Spring. But it is on their shoulders that falls

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