Illegal Migration Is Dangerous for the Migrants, their Countries and for Western Democracies

The xenophobic attacks against foreigners -- who make up 10% of the population -- in South Africa have not yet been quelled. USA Today reported yesterday that fear is so vivid among foreigners that anti-immigrant attacks will escalate that foreigners seek refuge in camps and police stations. In efforts to halt the rampages against foreigners, a peace march was staged and South African President Jacob Zuma condemned the attacks in a statement late Thursday in front of Parliament, with his words carried live on TV. With unemployment levels high in South Africa -- officially at 25% and often estimated to be closer to 35% -- immigrants are accused of driving down wages and taking jobs that should go to South Africans, although the government says that often immigrants bring needed skills not available in South Africa. Locals burned and looted foreign-owned shops in January this year, and the volence has re-ignited after the Zulu monarch, King Goodwill Zwelithini, called immigrants "lice" and said they should "take their bags and go." Police said attacks in Durban have left five people dead in recent days. More than 2,000 foreigners are staying in camps around the city, guarded by police and security forces and afraid to return home. Immigrants flocked to a police station outside Johannesburg yesterday and stayed there overnight, police said. The Primrose Methodist Church, which housed foreigners after similar attacks in 2008, is preparing to take people in again. Minister of International Relations Maite Nkoana- Mashabane met on Friday with African diplomats based in South Africa to discuss the government's efforts to protect immigrants. Nkoana-Mashabane said : "We took the African diplomatic corps into confidence on the practical measures that are being taken by the security agencies to bring to justice those who are responsible for the violence and related criminal acts....We believe we can defeat this demon and the resolve of the South African government and the support that has been pledged by our sister countries is all that we need to nip this in the bud," she said. The dean of the African Diplomatic Corps, Bene M'Poko, said the message from the meeting was that the attacks needed to be stopped immediately : "We as Africans and South Africans are going to work together to end this violence. We have defeated colonialism and apartheid by working together. So we are confident that if we put our heads together, we will stop these acts of violence." ~~~~~ Violence threatens to spread through sub-Sahara Africa. The South African News24 media group reports that Nigerians in Johannesburg armed themselves with machetes on Friday after a number of their businesses were attacked by South Africans. The Zimbabwe student union called on Zimbabweans to retaliate against South African businesses in their country. In Mozambique, some South African trucks taking goods into the country were stoned and halted, and at least one border crossing between the two nations was closed for a time. Mozambique police say that cross-border traffic is moving freely now but they would not say that things are quiet. ~~~~~ We could easily say that the xenophobic attacks are just one example of South Africa's democracy falling apart because Nelson Mandela is no longer alive to exert his influence. We might also surmise that South Africa, like the rest of Africa, cannot sustain democracy long term. These are easy answers. But consider this. ~~~~~ In Italy, in the heart of Europe, citizens have sometimes taken to the streets to protest against their problem with illegal Africans arriving by boat. In the latest tragedy, some 400 people drowned on Sunday off the coast of Libya - some who were Christian pushed overboard by Moslems who have since been arrested. The chaos in Libya has seen thousands of migrants flee to Italy and also sparked fears of a new stronghold for jihadists to launch attacks on Europe. Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Italy shoulders nearly all of the burden for patrol and rescue. "Ninety percent of the cost of the patrol and sea rescue operations are falling on our shoulders, and we have not had an adequate response from the EU," he told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, adding that the EU was only spending €3 million a month on its Operation Triton sea patrols. "And then there is the difficult issue of knowing where to send those rescued at sea - to the nearest port? To the country where their boat came from? The EU has to respond clearly to these questions," Gentiloni said. The northern Italian province of Lombardy answered one question yesterday by refusing to take in any boat migrants. ~~~~~ In February, the Council of Europe called on  Greece to curb growing violence against immigrants. The warnings come at a time when Greek unemployment is above 25% - 50% for young people - and Greece is being forced to repay loans to the IMF and the ECB that would be cancelled as usurious if attempted by private parties. The Council's report said that xenophobia was on the rise in the country and urged  Greece to work with non-government organizations to "develop a comprehensive national strategy to combat racism and intolerance." According to Christian Ahlund, the chair of the council’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) : "Despite steps forward...problems persist, including worrying levels of xenophobia and violence against refugees, asylum seekers and migrants....Despite the progress achieved, some issues give rise to concern." He said Greek authorities should launch a broad-based public campaign to denounce racist attitudes as being contrary to Greek values and interests and to promote an inclusive and multi-cultural approach towards Greek identity. The ECRI also called on Greek political and religious leaders to take a "firm stand" against racist discourse and instruct political speakers to refrain from making derogatory comments targeting a group of persons on grounds of their race, religion, nationality, language or ethnic origin. The ECRI also welcomed the enforcement of a much-delayed anti-racism law, as well as the appointment of public prosecutors to deal with acts of racist violence and the creation of a special police force to tackle racist attacks. ~~~~~ And today in France - where unemployment is officially above 12% and French households are protesting against their high tax load in a period of a falling econony and stagnant wages - Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced a €100 mllion fund to combat racism, anti-semitism and anti-Moslem trends. ~~~~~ Dear readers, if you are American, you must hear echoes of what is happening in the US -- claims that illegal immigrants are driving down wages, taking jobs from American workers, and using social services that drive up their cost for all American taxpayers. There have been peaceful protests along the southern US-Mexico border. What is clear is that the world's economy is still weak and that the weakness falls heavily on Africans and Latin Americans. Their natural solution is to try to enter countries where they have a better chance of findong jobs -- or at least where they will receive food and shelter, often missing in their home countries. We can protest, put them in internment areas, build walls, and even attack them with machetes. It will not halt their migration effort. What will? Not paying large sums to their governments for economic and educational reforms-- that only enriches their non-accountable leaders. Not leaving the field vacant for China, whose presence will only strip these poor countries of their most valuable resources. Not sending the illegal migrants back -- they or others will only arrive. I really do not have an immediate answer. But it could be that convincing their leaders to let the West go in on a non-partisan basis to develop infrastructure would work. A series of African and Latin American Marshall Plans would create jobs, jumpstart education and build a base for a functioning economy. In 2012, I called for a Marshall Plan for the Middle East. Nothing has happened. It is not too late, and we can add Africa and Latin America to the grand project. Migrants don't arrive on our borders because they hate their own cultures and countries. They arrive because they are desperate -- except for terrorists. Let's find reasonable ways to help them stay at home. It will not only help them, it will help us. It is critical to remember that even in stable democratic countries, people can be pushed just so far before the compact between the governed and the government snaps.