The European Union is committing “structural genocide” with irregular migrants, while far-right forces use the “invasion” of immigrants as an electoral weapon, Óscar Camps, founder and director of Spanish NGO Open Arms, told Euractiv.es.
Camps founded Open Arms in 2015, moved by the humanitarian crisis of Syrian refugees. Since then, the activist has won several international awards for his solidarity work.
Asked about the latest developments surrounding the controversial Italian-Albanian ‘experiment’ to outsource the management of migration flows to third countries, Camps came down hard on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Fratelli d’Italia/ECR).
“Italian politics has always been a big show. It was already so in 2019 with (Matteo) Salvini, it was already so with (former prime minister and Cinque Stelle Movement leader Giuseppe) Conte. (Matteo) Salvini (current transport minister) has added even more spectacle with shocking media campaigns, including the ‘closed ports’ for NGOs”, Camps told Euractiv.es.
The Open Arms director lashed out at Meloni, whose government passed a decree this week to try to prevent the judiciary from overturning a controversial agreement with Tirana.
“Meloni has gone much further (than Salvini). Sometimes, the far-right believes it is above justice, international conventions, and international law,” said Camps.
The Spanish NGO has been in the media spotlight again in connection with the trial Italian far-right leader and former interior minister Matteo Salvini.
The far-right’s dangerous discourse
Salvini is accused of preventing the landing of migrants rescued by an Open Arms boat in a dangerous operation in the waters of the central Mediterranean for 20 days in 2019, EFE reported.
The prosecution has asked for a six-year prison sentence against Salvini for the alleged crimes of kidnapping and abuse of power. The Italian judiciary’s decision will be announced on 20 December.
Asked how he views the current migration crisis in Europe, particularly affecting several southern EU countries, including Spain, compared to the humanitarian crisis of 2015. Camps has no doubts about the seriousness of the current situation.
“Things are much worse now than in (the humanitarian crisis of) 2015. In that year, there was talk in Europe of welcoming Syrian refugees, but now the word most heard on the street is ‘invasion’ of immigrants,” said Camps.
Commenting on Meloni’s plans to outsource migration management to Albania, Camps expressed surprise that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was willing to “explore” this controversial initiative.
“We found it strange that Ursula von der Leyen was willing to applaud this decision (the agreement between Rome and Tirana) because the European Commission has a great responsibility when it comes to assessing such risky measures”, said Camps.
According to Camps, it is paradoxical that Italy decides what is and what is not a safe country when it comes to the hypothetical installation of future centres for managing migrant flows in countries outside EU territory.
Looking the other way
“Is it Italy who will now decide which countries are safe and which are not?” Camps asked.
By approving an emergency decree, Meloni is only “acting” for her “audience” (the far-right camp) because she knows that – sooner or later – the courts will overturn her plan, said Camps.
He also had harsh words for those who see this heavy-handed immigration policy in a positive light, including all the parties that make up Patriots for Europe, including the far-right Vox party, the third largest grouping in the Spanish parliament.
“Outsourcing (the management of migratory flows) is paying someone so that people’s rights are violated outside your country (an EU country)”, Camps denounced.
“While these humanitarian tragedies are happening, in Europe, we are dominated by the discourse of fear. European immigration policy is a structural genocide”, he warned.
(Fernando Heller | EuroEFE.Euractiv.es)
Source: euractiv.com
