Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/599604
10 Editorial MaltaToday, MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 MANAGING DIRECTOR: ROGER DE GIORGIO MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 • Fax: (356) 21 385075 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt IT is too early to comment on whether the outcome of the Valletta Migration Summit, being held over these two days and attended by numerous Eu- ropean and African leaders, will prove helpful to defuse the ongoing humanitarian crisis on Europe's borders. The summit does however provide an important platform for the issue to be discussed by the people who matter the most: the European Union, which must somehow resolve its internal dis- putes in order to reach consensus on how to tackle the phenom- enon; and the governments of many countries in the regions from which so many people an- nually risk their lives in the hope of a better life elsewhere. From the outset, any hope of a lasting, concrete commitment in- volving all parties has been faint. Unlike the issues that the EU is accustomed to discussing – such as trade agreements, directives on specific areas of industry, etc. – there has to date been no consensus on even the most basic aspects of the crisis. At all levels, there is profound disagreement between individual member states. Some have opted out of Commission programmes aimed at saving lives in the Mediterranean, or declined to provide assets to EU initia- tives such as Frontex. A 'refugee relocation programme' pushed by the Commission, failed to attract consensus. Europe's approach has so far been fragmented and litigious: in a word, as far from a 'Union' as it is possible to be. This is perhaps not surprising, given the enormity of the prob- lems associated with this issue. On paper, accepting and integrat- ing asylum seekers is an obliga- tion mandated by numerous binding treaties. Also on paper, all member states agree with this obligation in principle. But recent experience also delineates the limit of European generosity in this regard. The lo- gistical pressures are enormous, and there is a political dimension to take into account. By accept- ing hundreds of thousands of refugees, as Germany did this summer, the EU will be placing considerable demands on its citi- zens. It will cause social strains in the short term… and up to a point, electoral cycles force most governments to only think in the short term. But if there's one other thing that all European member states also agree to on paper, it is that the ongoing migration issue also represents an opportunity. It is an open secret that Europe's age- ing demographics spell serious economic trouble ahead. Europe's workforce is retiring at a far greater rate than younger work- ers are joining the labour market. Anyone with any knowledge of basic economics will under- stand that – short of increasing the birthrate, which cannot be achieved overnight (if at all) – controlled immigration has to lie at the heart of any workable solution to this impending time- bomb. From this perspective, an inf lux of mostly young foreign workers could almost (were it not for the logistical and social implica- tions) be viewed as a godsend. It remains to be seen, however, whether short term political considerations will trump a long term approach to a problem that is as much Europe's as Africa's. What must be done for the positive to prevail? It is often said that Europe grows stronger in times of crisis. But that isn't how things currently look. On the contrary it almost seems as though the refugee emergency is bringing out the worst in Europe: xenophobia, nationalism and interminable responsibility buck- passing. But the exodus of refugees this summer also offers the possibil- ity for ref lection. Tragic though it may be, the crisis povides Europe with the opportunity to show that it takes seriously the values spelt out in its treaties. A good start would be an agree- ment at the Valletta summit on a fair distribution plan, so that EU countries like Italy and Greece, Germany and Sweden are not forced to carry the lion's share of the weight. Sadly, the mutual distrust among Europe's heads of government makes such an agreement nigh to impossible. Europe's long-term goal, though, has to be that of fight- ing the causes of migration. Of course, Europe won't be able to quickly impose peace on war- torn Syria, or transform coun- tries like Eritrea into prosperous democracies. But at the moment, EU mem- ber states aren't even trying to look beyond the bloc's external borders. EU countries agreed 10 years ago to increase their devel- opment aid to 0.7% of their gross domestic products; but hardly any member state has achieved that goal. Instead, the EU is planning new incentives to encourage African countries of origin to take back rejected asylum seekers. At the EU-Africa summit in Malta, the European Commission intends to offer €1.8 billion more for an EU-Africa trust fund – but the money will only be provided in exchange for 'cooperation' on that front. Is this enough to make a real difference to the economic fortunes of Africa? Clearly not. Europe needs to make a clear commitment towards creating legal channels for people f leeing wars, starvation, dictatorships and climate change. Europe must also stop propping up dictator- ships and instead help people in Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia realize their dreams in their homelands and not in another continent. But to do so, leadership must be shown. Where this leader- ship will come from has yet to be seen. Migration issue calls for leadership maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 11 NOVEMBER 2015