The Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, Amy Pope, warned of the escalation of anti-immigrant rhetoric in a year full of electoral demands for about half of the world's population.
The 50-year-old American, who last year became the first woman to hold this position at the head of this United Nations organization, denounced the increase in anti-immigrant statements that fuel “electoral campaigns around the world.”
She pointed out that some politicians attribute all problems to immigration, “from crime rates, inflation, and unemployment to insecurity.”
In her view, immigrants are “easy” prey since they “do not vote.”
In the United States, where immigration is a staple of the election campaign, former President Donald Trump warned of an “invasion” at the southern border, hinting that some immigrants arriving into the country “are not human beings.”
Statements like this could lead to dire repercussions, according to Pope, who worked as a lawyer in both Democratic and Republican administrations.
Dehumanization
“When a group of the population is dehumanized, reports of incidents of violence and discrimination increase,” she said in an interview with Agence France-Presse this week, noting that “it is ultimately a bad thing for society as a whole.”
She pointed out that warning statements rarely match the reality of the situation, stressing that “the speeches have absolutely nothing to do with reality.”
Some countries, where verbal attacks on immigrants are common, actually need them to jumpstart the economy, according to Pope, who cited “the labor shortage in Europe.”
The Director-General of the International Organization for Migration pointed out that The Economist magazine recently reported that immigration contributed to the recovery of the American economy after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pope stressed that “countries need immigrants… and this need will record a noticeable increase in the coming years,” calling for more safe and legal ways to immigrate and for an intensification of positive comments in this regard.
In the year 2023, at least 8,565 people died on migration trips, making last year the worst year in terms of migrant deaths since the beginning of collecting information in this regard ten years ago, according to the International Organization for Migration.
This total includes only known cases, and there is no doubt that the actual number is “very, very, very higher,” according to Pope, who expected the upward trend to continue in light of the proliferation of conflicts and the intensification of the effects of climate change, which will increase migration.
“Better ways”
Amy Pope considered that the best way to avoid the migration of people on risky journeys is to create safe and legal means of migration.
She stated that “the need is urgent,” stressing that “no one wants to see large numbers of irregular migrants crossing the border, the Mediterranean Sea, or the Channel Tunnel,” and acknowledging that the matter may “create pressure on societies.”
In response to a question about the situation on the southern border of the United States, she said, “My greatest concern is that people have the right to seek asylum,” but she denounced the “inadequacy” of “safe, legal, and regular” means of entry.
“This demonstrates the urgent need to find better ways to meet the need for immigration” in the United States, Pope said, without which “we will continue to be subject to pressure at the border.”
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