The irony of migrancy

The migrants heading to Britain bring with them a world of opportunity

by AC Grayling / August 20, 2015 / Leave a comment

Published in September 2015 issue of Prospect Magazine

A migrant runs after crossing a fence as he attempts to access the Channel Tunnel, in Calais. © AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

Put yourself in the shoes of a migrant at Calais, hoping to get to a place which is stable and peaceful, where there is the chance of work, where a language is spoken that you know. You have taken risks, sometimes great risks, and have paid hugely in money and the emotions of parting from family and everything familiar.

You might be a qualified teacher or engineer in your own country. It is possible that you have risked and paid so much in the hope of living a life of ease on British welfare benefits, getting medical treatment for free. But if so you are one of the very few. Those who have ventured riskily across thousands of kilometres to escape hell and to find a better life are not the lazy sort.

Think of matters this way and you see them in a more humane light. It puts into perspective the two major problems that the Calais migrants represent, neither of which can bear delay in being addressed.

One is the geographically immediate problem of treating the migrants decently, sorting out which among them is a genuine asylum seeker fleeing danger, and which is an economic migrant. To the former we might extend the hand of succour as we so often and magnificently did in the past, from Huguenots to Vladimir Lenin and the Jewish children of the Kindertransport in the 1930s.

Read more on migrants:

Inside Rome’s Termini Station

YOU'VE HIT THE LIMIT

You have now reached your limit of 3 free articles in the last 30 days.
But don't worry! You can get another 7 articles absolutely free, simply by entering your email address in the box below.

When you register we'll also send you a free e-book—Writing with punch—which includes some of the finest writing from our archive of 22 years. And we'll also send you a weekly newsletter with the best new ideas in politics and philosophy of culture, which you can of course unsubscribe from at any time

Prospect may process your personal information for our legitimate business purposes, to provide you with our newsletter, subscription offers and other relevant information.

Click to learn more about these interests and how we use your data. You will be able to object to this processing on the next page and in all our communications.

DEBUG messsage: regular

Share with friends

Comments

Alyson
August 22, 2015 at 11:29
While extreme ideologies drive desperate men, women and children to flee their homes, distinguishing those in need from those who would prey on others will take some sorting out. Europe may offer peace and prosperity to those who wish to join and contribute however coming from a theocracy to a secular democracy might be a huge change for some. I would suggest that understanding and acknowledging the European Convention of Human Rights should be essential.
Greg
August 23, 2015 at 10:45
Sitting in Stratford (east London) town centre last Thursday eating my lunch, it struck me that in the course of twenty or so minutes, I heard not a single conversation in English. Maybe some think this the model of a vibrant and diverse multicultural society. I suspect if reflects all that is wrong with the policies pursued over the past 40 years. We are left with a divided society, totally lacking in cohesiveness in which the concept integration, much less assimilation, are alien. Previous migrant/refugee groups coming to this country, Hugenots, Jews etc were expected to assimilate, something which on the whole they themselves embraced. Now we have a situation in which second or third generation migrants are less integrated than their parents or grandparents. From the Niquab clad women of Whitechapel to the Somali run drug gangs of Tottenham, we have groups that are both inward looking and hostile to the host community and it`s customs. This cannot safely go on for much longer but the danger is that as each group grows be it through legal/ illegal migration or asylum, so the need for any sort of integration becomes less and we continue on our present course. I don`t know what the answer is, allowing people such as those at Calais free access to the UK doesn`t strike me as a solution which benefits anyone.
EG
August 24, 2015 at 19:34
Alas, this is a canard about the nationalisms within our own house; rather than narrowing apertures, the yes position in the scottish referendum campaign was closer to the spirit of international socialism.
1. Jack B.
  September 2, 2015 at 01:02
  Capitalism's strength lies in pursuing profit efficiently, making the most while spending the least. Efficiency requires capable people well rewarded for top performance. Socialism, by contrast. can never have a clear, measurable bottom line nor, given the rigidity of pay and rewards in the civil service, can it assure maximum employee efficiency. Add in the political factors always found in government, and it is obvious that transmuting a private operation into a public one, as socialism requires, is not the best way to go.
Phillip A.
September 5, 2015 at 12:50
I notice AC Graying did not once mention the word 'Islam'. Is that out of fear of repercussions? It is a lot easier to make oneself feel good by taking the ostensibly 'safe' option of pandering to the blind humanitarians, a lot harder to speak up about the clear issues facing us; failed multiculturism, a total assault on our ability to function as a pluralistic democratic nation, and that the more Muslims we have on these shores the quicker we will have a Muslim majority in this country. Anyone who thinks that would be a good thing for our future generations is fooling themselves. At least there a European voices out there, Hungary, Czechoslovakia etc who will break ranks and speak up. It is the biggest most toxic elephant in the room and we are all fearful of expressing it. Why are we so afraid?
Warszawiak
September 8, 2015 at 22:00
It's interesting that thinkers of the left do not see a contradiction between their libertine views and their endorsement of imigration of Muslims who tend to profess absolutely opposite set of values.
Fara M.
March 11, 2016 at 12:58
I don`t think its an issue of Islam but a major problem with cultures which are so at odds with one another. If incoming cultures are prepared to adapt to the culture they are becoming part of ;as you often have to when holidaying abroad then integration could work but there is a tendency to bring diverse cultures in without educating peoples. There is such a fine line between allowances made in terms of freedom of identity and holding on to cultural values which counter those of current residence. Fear of action as in Germany against women by a culture who consider women in a manner contrary to that of equals is more fearful than a religion. I note Sweden is working on cross culture training but to what degree will this work. A recent program highlighted the delight of immigrant women at the training but the derision of many of the men when it came to how to treat women. Unfortunately I think only strict reprisals for breaking the law and certainly certain crimes should be deportation.