The EU’s migration hypocrisy in Africa

On a sizzling November evening closing year, I discovered myself within the heart of a odd, otherworldly scene within the commercial capital of the Ivory Flee, Abidjan. On a cramped stage keep up at a neighborhood stadium, Ivorian soccer neatly-known person Didier Drogba modified into once urging 1000’s of local early life to chant, « I promise I would possibly possibly per chance per chance additionally no longer migrate! I promise I would possibly possibly per chance per chance additionally no longer migrate! I promise I would possibly possibly per chance per chance additionally no longer migrate! »

Drogba, who moved as a baby to France and spent most of his soccer profession in Europe, modified into once as a various guest at a concert by well-liked Ivorian song band « Magic Map », on the « Palais des Sports de Treichville », an indoor sporting advanced on the coronary heart of Abidjan. The concert modified into once share of a sequence of events taking keep within town on the eve of the Fifth EU-Africa Summit.

Once I arrived quickly earlier than the concert, your entire stadium modified into once buzzing with excitement. Folks were chanting and cheering as they waited to eye their well-liked soccer neatly-known person. Alternatively it did now not pick me long to raise shut that what I modified into once witnessing modified into once no longer ethical a concert. It modified into once an EU-funded propaganda match towards migration.

#aueu summit for early life in Abidjan, with finally @asalfomagic and other artists performances. Esteem the selfie with the early life selected to meet and work with the Heads of states #aueuypii #abidjan #early life pic.twitter.com/nnCZIlqJgU

— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) November 27, 2017

Throughout the concert, band people, Drogba and other high-profile guests took turns addressing the personnel. And each and every single realizing to be one of their speeches carried the identical message: « You mustn’t migrate. »

« Emigration isn’t very any approach to our problems, » talked about the lead singer of the band at some level. « Basically the most efficient approach to be exclusively happy is to raise here with us. » 

On the present time, so-known as « sensibilisation and recordsdata campaigns » care for this one are a key characteristic of Europe’s alleged war towards the root causes of migration. The EU Emergency Belief Fund for Africa allocates 1 million euros ($1.24m) for « elevating consciousness on the dangers of illegal migration ». Some member states utilize their receive money on the same events.

The « concert » modified into once no longer basically the most attention-grabbing « migration » themed aspect match of the EU-Africa Summit in Abidjan. About a days later, I discovered myself within the audience of a panel debate, at which eight other folks spent two hours discussing the root causes of migration without ever bringing up Europe’s role. The panel modified into once organised by the French Institute and financed by the German foreign ministry. It modified into once also supported by the Global Organisation for Migration. In step with the organisers, the target of the panel modified into once to select away the emotion from the debate about migration.

In level of reality, the panel modified into once basically based completely exclusively on emotion.

If Europe in reality desired to enact one thing about « the root causes of migration », much like constructing jobs, reworking its receive substitute policies can be an valid approach to delivery.

 

There had been unhappy photos of mothers who had misplaced their migrant kids, there had been graphic photos of stupid migrant our bodies washed ashore on Mediterranean coasts, there had been distressing photos of migrant men being overwhelmed by their captors in Libya, there had been photos of dissatisfied refugees being returned to West Africa on a airplane … The message of the panel modified into once moderately particular: In case you migrate, all of this can happen to you and this would possibly possibly per chance well additionally all be your receive fault.

The room modified into once plastered with other « recordsdata provides », riding dwelling the identical message. « No to irregular migration », talked about the front aspect of the tote bags that held on one one more chair within the cinema that hosted the debate.

The opposite aspect of the gather talked about « My paradise is here », alongside a map of the Ivory Flee. « The sea kills, the barren plot as neatly – no to irregular migration! » proclaimed a poster on the wall.

‘Your paradise is here’

The EU and its member states utilize so much of cash telling kids in Africa how glorious their continent is. But, they by no methodology level out the reality that EU substitute policies are realizing to be one of the most principle causes within the assist of the continent’s inability to present gorgeous opportunities to its early life.

As an example, the principle export manufactured from the Ivory Flee is cocoa. With an annual export price of $3.75bn, it makes up roughly one-third of the country’s total exports.

However, surprisingly, the Ivory Flee isn’t very any longer realizing to be one of the most enviornment’s well-known exporters of chocolate – a product made from cocoa.

The EU, though, exports around $18bn price of chocolate, amounting to around Seventy five p.c of the enviornment’s annual chocolate exports. Your entire African continent – the keep the cocoa bushes grow – remains a ways within the assist of, with decrease than $200m price of chocolate exports. How can or no longer it’s that a continent on which no cocoa tree can dwell on exterior a greenhouse makes ninety times extra chocolate than the continent on which cocoa bushes grow naturally?

The solution is easy: substitute hyperlinks and guidelines that have not modified mighty since colonial times. The tariff guidelines towards African states enable European countries to import cocoa beans without any extra charges. Alternatively, processed goods, much like chocolate, incur a hefty import surcharge, making it unprofitable to process cocoa in situ. The valid earnings, nonetheless, are generated no longer in rising the beans, nonetheless in processing them.

If Europe in reality desired to enact one thing about « the root causes of migration », much like constructing jobs, reworking its receive substitute policies can be an valid approach to delivery. 1000’s – if no longer millions – of jobs can be created by allowing cocoa to be processed in West Africa. And cocoa and chocolate are ethical one example. With a easy substitute in substitute tariffs, entire commodity chains can be established.

Africa has a young inhabitants that is without discover rising, so jobs are urgently wanted. The EU and the African Union acknowledge this field and faux to work on it, nonetheless they declare no ardour in reforming European substitute policies in a method that would enable job introduction interior Africa.

« Revolutionary » forces in Europe faux to be stopping the root causes of migration, nonetheless, in reality, the measures they’re taking are inefficient at simplest.

The narratives they employ in their « war towards migration » simply gloss over the valid points and attend enjoy the advise quo, which, in this case, is hurting African economies, and contributing to retaining other folks unfortunate and determined sufficient to threat their lives searching for better dwelling stipulations. 

If Europe simply reforms its predatory substitute system in would actually like to employ soccer stars as propaganda instruments, Ivory Flee would possibly possibly per chance per chance additionally neatly develop correct into a paradise with sufficient jobs for its early life. 

The views expressed in this text are the creator’s receive and enact no longer necessarily specialize in Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.