What is the “refugee crisis”?

There are many reasons why people migrate, which can include: seeking a better life, reuniting with family, or fleeing conflict, ecological disaster, war, famine, poverty, persecution or violence.

However, we must also understand the structures and legacies that underpin the movement and displacement of peoples. Colonialism, capitalism and imperialism have forced conditions of poverty, conflict and ecological collapse in the Global South. As a result, much migration occurs from the Global South to the Global North.

Why do we oppose the term “refugee crisis”? This kind of language blames those who migrate across borders in order to flee, instead of questioning why they are having to make those dangerous journeys in the first place.

Why and how have these horrific conditions, necessitating migration, been created? The Global South has suffered from the violent effects of colonialism, imperialism and foreign intervention, which creates conditions of ecological instability, economic insecurity and political collapse in the Global South. A lot of migration today occurs from the Global South to the Global North, by people fleeing dangerous conflict or climate emergencies. Migrants travelling to the Global North often face added violence, hostility and suspicion, both at and inside of Europe’s borders.

We in Europe have a duty to help those fleeing the circumstances that Western governments have created.

We are currently experiencing is the impact of colonialism and racist policies that forces people to move. It’s not a “refugee crisis”. Instead of blaming migrants, let’s blame the colonial and imperial interventions that force people to flee their homes.

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