Human mobility throughout the geography of the planet is a historical reality intrinsically linked to the evolution of our species. At present, it is only necessary to compare the age pyramids and the demographic projections between different geographical spaces to venture into the affirmation that this mobility will continue to be possible, necessary and inevitable. With regard to the European space, we are seeing speeches and political approaches that seek to deny this reality and act contrary to its democratic harmonization in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The issuers of these speeches not only deny the need for this mobility, they also deny climate change, a situation that urges common policies that can guarantee human life on earth. These two realities, denied by some, with a clear instrumental intention to acquire spaces of power, have and will have a causal connection that forces us to seek solutions based on human rights and democratic principles.
The challenge of recognizing the need and the right of human mobility has to be assumed by a wide political spectrum that goes from parties that want to preserve liberal democracy to those that aspire to progress towards a more social democracy. If this challenge is not faced and the greatest is denied, we will see how these political realities will be constantly eroded by reactionary proposals that seek to establish an undemocratic order.
We have seen a possible position of firm conviction in favor of human rights reflected in the response to the Ukrainian situation, however, this trend has been absent in the negotiations for the new European Migration and Asylum Pact. On this matter, we believe that the current Spanish presidency of the European Union has the opportunity to put human rights at the center of migration and asylum policies through common policies responsible for a necessary and urgent solidarity.
The externalization of borders by European countries is a policy that only causes pain and death. In Tunisia, after signing a migration containment agreement with the EU, hundreds of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers have been abandoned in the Sahara desert without water or food. The lack of safe ways to guarantee the fulfillment of rights causes all this pain. So far this year there have been 951 fatalities on the Euro-African Western Border. These deaths are added to the 11,286 people who have died at the Spanish borders in the last five years.
In this context of pain, obstacles and difficulties in accessing host countries, the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide is growing, standing at 108.4 million, according to UNHCR figures at the end of 2022. For In the Spanish case, we see how we have become the third European country that receives the most asylum seekers, only behind Germany and France. However, despite an increase in the percentage of favorable resolutions compared to 2021, in 2022 of the 86,997 files resolved, only a scant 16% of people obtained international protection. A figure that is sadly far from the European average of 38%.
Most of the people who applied for international protection in Spain came from Latin America. The explanation for this data is found in the possibility of entry without the need for a visa by people who come from countries such as Colombia or Venezuela. This fact provides greater legality and security to the path of access to international protection. In contrast, we find ourselves with migratory routes from Africa or from a large part of the Asian countries to Europe that are almost impossible. For example, we verified how people who need to request international protection fleeing the conflict in Sudan are not offered any safe and legal route through a humanitarian visa.
Unfortunately, the difficulties do not end with the entry and regularization of the situation of people. Within our country, migrants and refugees face many internal borders every day that hinder the processes of social inclusion necessary for their well-being. These borders are built on the basis of racism, machismo, classism and xenophobia. On the other hand, we find ourselves with a society open to welcome and willing not to look the other way in the face of the horror that is constantly shown to us through the media.
From a civil organization like Refugees Welcome we face a limited capacity for action that we manage to face through effort and the conviction of a clear mission that is committed to a culture of welcome. The efforts of an organized civil society convinced of the application of human rights have managed to start many coexistence throughout Spain between people displaced from their homes and local people.
For those people who were forced to leave their countries (Palestine, Mali, Colombia, Afghanistan, Senegal, El Salvador, Ukraine…) for various reasons, this has meant having found a safe and trustworthy space in which to continue their project of life. In turn, this has helped local people to combat prejudice in their environments and to enjoy an intercultural experience from home.
From our action and responsibility we want to make a call to society not to resign ourselves to the resignation of human rights, which are the result of multiple struggles for understanding, from equality as a single humanity. From our experience we know that an inclusive and horizontal coexistence is a key factor to understand our collective well-being and a mechanism that makes peaceful coexistence possible.
Raul Hernandez Villasol. Volunteer and board member of Refugees Welcome. Researcher Margarita Salas UAB.
