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Why Do People Migrate? Part 1: Facts
Tarja Knudsen
12 Mar 2016, 02:18 PM
Chapters 2 › Time for new definitions?:
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`Start by reading this article and discuss in your journal how current official definitions of "migrants", "refugees" and "asylum seekers" are challenged by the on-going migration crisis at the South-East borders of Europe.
You can also see Unit 2.1 for more information about irregular migration in Mediterranean region, Unit 2.2 about EU norms on asylum seeking, and Unit 2.3 on the case of Syrian refugees.
Don't forget to have a look to what others have done in their journals!
not a believer in labelling
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I wish labeling migrants would solve the real problem, which I think is inequality in the world. We cannot choose where in the world we are born. If we could, most of us would choose some peaceful, rich, tolerant country with warm climate and fertile soil. If our living circumstances become intolerable where we happen to be born (or we believe we can create a better life somewhere else) most of us will migrate.
i recently had a chance to talk with some asylum seekers from the Middle-East in Finland. One of them asked me why (some) local people seemed to be so hostile against them.
One of the reasons is certainly that when most of the asylum-seekers seem to be young, heathy-looking men with low education level and only one language, their native one, local people may think they just don't want to defend their own country and family. However, it was obvious to me that at least the questioner did not know who he should have been fighting for or against since there were so many different fighting groups. However, not taking sides, certainly poses a real threat to one's life, as well as staying in the place where fighting is happening...
The best longer-term solution, i think, is to work towards increasing level of knowledge globally. In the case of current migration to Europe, one could start promoting simplified version of this MOOC with more practical information to asylum seekers and Europeans in their own languages.
