We live in uncertain times. It's difficult to trust people. There's a great sense of unease. We see people who are different as scapegoats, like asylum seekers. Deep within us, fear reigns, because "they" are not like "us." People who come from poorer regions seem like a threat. But the story is more complex than we realize.
We bring them to the EU for work we can't or don't want to do ourselves. This began in the 1960s with the importation of Turks and Moroccans, preferably illiterate. They wouldn't cause any problems. Moreover, this could be marketed as a contribution to the development of these countries. Political parties, which now turn against asylum seekers, took the lead.
We treated them like slaves without rights. We paid them poorly and deprived them of their rights. It's the new slavery. The insanity is that in the Netherlands, there is a government agency that is supposed to oversee the rights of workers: the Labor Inspectorate. But anyone who doesn't have the official papers to work in the Netherlands is reported as undocumented to the Aliens Police by the same agency, whose job it is to deport such people. The Labor Inspectorate's direct responsibility is to ensure that people receive their rightful wages. This organization neglects this duty. The government functions as a criminal organization.
According to European guidelines, this is prohibited. European law takes precedence over national law. This has consequences.
An organization is criminal if it deliberately violates the law to achieve its goals. This is the case here.
Migrant workers who protest are dumped on the streets, where they have to scavenge for survival. We see asylum seekers as the cause of our own problems, which we don't know how to address. The government asks for advice and then tucks it away in a deep drawer. Then she can ask for advice again.
Ignoring legislation or court rulings is not the exclusive "privilege" of an authoritarian regime.
The EU is also guilty of this. The so-called pushbacks of boats carrying refugees occur with impunity. The detention of refugees in North Africa is done with EU money, in fact, with taxpayers' money, its citizens. The same applies to supporting the United Arab Emirates, which allows genocide to be committed with its weapons against black Sudanese, because the EU needs their oil and gas. This is a covert form of racism. Thus, the EU dances around the golden calf.
We live in a world where more and more people are at odds with each other. This leads to increasing violence. People feel unsafe. There is fear. This is especially true for women. They are treated as objects of desire. I pose a simple question to men who misbehave in this way: do you treat your mother this way? Or what do you think if your sister is treated this way? These questions are deeply hurtful. The dumping of migrant workers on the streets creates a climate in which a growing sense of insecurity arises, especially among vulnerable people. It is a breeding ground for populism.
They, in turn, seek support from a strongman as a protective force. Can we talk to these people about this and listen to them without a hidden agenda? Because then we can search for a solution together. Where this is not possible, populism reigns supreme. Blaming these people for this is pointless, just as finding scapegoats is pointless.
It always comes down to creating a society in which people can rely on each other. This requires a different attitude than simply opening your wallet in the face of disaster and patting yourself on the back for showing that you care.
To make the issue tangible, consider the following: how do we build a next generation that can succeed us? Demographically, families have to give birth to 2.4 children. Because not every newborn reaches adulthood. I knew a classmate who died of cancer at 15. Not every adult finds a partner to raise a child with. How else can we maintain a stable population?
Building the next generation requires investments in healthcare and education. Healthcare means that people care about each other. That creates a safe environment. Education teaches you insight into reality and what you need to do to develop yourself for the benefit of society.
In my view, investing in war equipment rewards distrust. That only benefits the rich.
There is much work to be done, which must be fueled by hope for a better world.
Louis Bohte ofm
