EU Migrant Crisis Won’t Have Adverse Effects on PH

MANILA – Filipinos working in the European Union need not worry about the ongoing migrant crisis, according to a Malta-based economist.

“The Filipino people have a very good reputation in Europe,” said Prof. Lino Briguglio of the University of Malta.

Briguglio held a presentation in a seminar organized by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) last April 11.

Briguglio said OFWs often occupy jobs that are in demand.

“The migrant crisis will impact your overseas workforce as far as the tightening of visa rules and requirements is concerned,” he said.

He explained that if the EU collapses, the issue of stricter border rules will be a problem that the whole Europe and other foreigners will face, including Filipino expats.

Meanwhile, PIDS President Gilberto Llanto said the European migrant crisis has been pegged as one of the big global shocks of this year, directly affecting other potential and ongoing risks given the interconnected nature of threats to global, regional, and national stability.

“This puts the onus on policymakers to evaluate in-depth how something as critical as the European migrant crisis could possibly affect a far-off country like the Philippines,” Llanto said.

Llanto also noted that Briguglio’s presentation about the EU migrant crisis is in line with PIDS’ agenda of enriching the national discourse on building resilience against an array of risks.

Briguglio pointed out three dimensions of the migrant crisis and these are associated with border control, granting of asylum, and humanitarian considerations.

“Geography has dictated the disproportionate distribution of responsibility among European countries in dealing with the crisis. Europe’s legislative guide to dealing with migrants is embodied in the Dublin Regulation, which places responsibility of temporarily keeping and legitimizing asylum seekers on the first country migrants arrive in. Because most migrants originate from the Maghreb, South Asia, and the Middle East, nations like Greece, Italy, Malta, and Eastern European countries like Hungary bear majority of that responsibility,” he explained.

In addition, Briguglio pointed out a conundrum in identifying legitimate asylum seekers from migrants seeking economic opportunity.

“Part of what makes the European migrant crisis unprecedented is the sheer volume of people. Leaving it up to the border countries is unsustainable. Currently, only a very small proportion of migrants have actually been resettled outside of the entry-point countries,” he said.

He likewise criticized the EU’s lack of an effective strategy in dealing with the crisis, calling it a “crisis of solidarity.”

“Instead of highlighting the issue from a humanitarian angle, whereby the fact that the vast majority of migrants are normal people running away from war, the crisis has given rightist groups an opportunity to wage an anti-immigrant political agenda across European states. The issue has become extremely polarized on the issue of religion and cultural compatibility, with little room for finding both pragmatic and humane solutions,” he explained.

Overall, the refugee crisis, according to Briguglio, is a multifaceted issue. He added that peace in the Middle East is the most ideal solution to stop the influx of migrants to the EU. However, he admitted that it is also the hardest and farthest from being accomplished in the near future.

 

(Source: ABS-CBN.com)

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