Myopic hypocrisy on migration betrays Europe’s values

Outlet: Arab News

Language: English

Abstract: Europe's controversial border externalization policies have created a self-inflicted crisis, with severe human rights violations surfacing along North Africa's shores and within the EU’s borders. Treating North Africa as a containment zone and the Mediterranean as a barrier has led to harrowing abuses, including torture, exploitation, and death among migrants. Despite claims of success in reducing migrant arrivals, recent reports highlight widespread human rights abuses funded by European taxpayers. EU-backed security forces are accused of detaining, abandoning, and subjecting migrants to gender-based violence and exploitation. Agreements with authoritarian regimes further expose Europe’s willingness to compromise its ethical commitments in a bid to curb irregular migration at any cost.

Leaders like UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer have praised Italy’s reduction in migrant arrivals without acknowledging the abusive measures that facilitated it. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of migrants are stranded in dire conditions, as EU funds perpetuate a cycle of suffering. The lack of oversight and accountability, paired with Europe’s increasing dependence on authoritarian regimes, has created a deep dissonance between Europe’s professed humanitarian values and the grim reality on the ground. The growing human toll of these policies calls for an urgent reevaluation, as Europe risks irreparable damage to its credibility and moral standing.

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