EU may be victim of its migration obsession – Claudio Francavilla

The next victim of the EU’s migration obsession may well be the EU itself, Claudio Francavilla, a Senior EU Advocate at Human Rights Watch, has said.

Claudio noted that across the Mediterranean and beyond, the EU’s foreign policy has been obsessively focused on one goal: keeping people away – whatever abuses they have to suffer.

The implications of this deliberate choice according to Claudio are devastating.

He said: “A controversial “Team Europe” goes to #Tunisia, where Saied staged a coup, jailed opponents, exposed Black Africans to horrendous abuses

“One would expect EU measures (or at least words!) to address that but nope. Saied is fine, just keep migrants away and EU money will flow.

“Isolated incident? Slippery slop? Far from that. Turkey deal, Libya deal, now the Tunisia deal indicated by @vonderleyen as a “blueprint” for the region, with more to follow

Horrendous abuses, with EU complicity. Whatever it takes to keep people away.
Does it stop at the Mediterranean? Nope.

-2015: EU #development aid to African states linked to their cooperation on border control

-Commission & Council now trying to turn #GSP scheme into a tool to blackmail developing countries on #migration.

The EU is collectively the world’s biggest humanitarian donor and a leading voice at the UN on human rights

But its open support for repressive regimes to keep migrants away highlights major double standards, eroding the EU credibility as a principled human rights actor.

Countless activists, journalists, critics, human rights defenders keep paying a high price for exposing corruption and abuses in repressive countries

But instead of siding with them, Europe emboldens their oppressors.

By parroting the far-right’s narrative on migration, EU institutions & many mainstream parties have legitimised and helped demagogues rise to power and influence across Europe

This represents a risk not only for migrants, but for the EU itself. In fact, with more far-right governments, it is increasingly hard for the Council to reach unanimity on key decisions – at least in a way that respects the EU’s founding values

Meanwhile, women’s, LGBTQ+’s, other minorities’ rights and the rule of law are increasingly under attack, ultimately, sacrificing the rights of migrants & refugees for short-term political gains is a morally bankrupt choice, which risks (is?) having systemic consequences for the EU

The next victim of the EU’s migration obsession may well be the EU itself