Legal immigration to Europe is important, says migration expert Gerald Knaus in the DW-Interview of the week. Irregular Migration must be limited, without violating the Geneva Convention on refugees.
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Gerald Knaus: “There is no right to Migration”
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Gerald Knaus: “There is no right to Migration”
The issue of Migration is a part of his family history. The grandmother of Gerald Knaus was Ukrainian, she was killed by red army soldiers. His mother came after the Second world war as a stateless person in Switzerland and later to Austria, where Gerald Knaus grew up.
As a Student in Vienna, Gerald Knaus witnessed the historic fall of the wall changed in Berlin in 1989, everyday life in Vienna, and a new Chapter in the European history of Migration began Almost over night, the metropolis was no longer on the edge of Western Europe, but in the center of the opening continent.
This experience have led to much optimism, recalls Gerald Knaus in an Interview with the week, even if this optimism gave way to another place of considerable disillusionment. Because only a few years after the collapse of the Iron curtain, millions of people were expelled from Kosovo and Bosnia.
Knaus has lived four years in Bosnia. “And to see how nationalism over many years, hatred has been stoked, in an enormous Explosion of violence and genocide in the midst of Europe, dumped it, this experience has shaped me,” he says.
It also led him to his current position as Chairman of the European stability initiative (ESI), a think-tank that was founded after the war in Kosovo and wants to arouse understanding for South-East European States in the West of Europe.
“Merkel’s policy has saved Europe’s soul”
Currently, the work of the ESI is done under difficult conditions. Many EU members look to their own countries. Ask yourself, how many refugees they can accommodate. In particular, Germany, which has taken in 2015 and 2016, many of the refugees.
Gerald Knaus is convinced: Yes, it was right at that time, the borders to stop. Because what would have been the Alternative? “By the war in Syria, the EU, Turkey, and more refugees were in a neighbouring country than any other country. You would have to offer the Turks more help,” says Knaus, “but when the people were on the road, the question was only: How can you control that?”.
Then Merkel did to the two positions known. “For one thing, that Germany will participate to treat, the ones that come now, so bad that you prefer it then, but not to stay in Germany. And, Second, that you can’t dump the Problem in Greece. This policy has saved Europe’s honour and soul.”
Germany’s open borders 2015: “Merjel has saved Europe’s soul and honor”
The rescue, however, had its price, namely the rise of right-wing populist parties in Europe, particularly in Eastern Europe. Amazing is, that these parties were particularly strong there, where no refugees are coming, says Knaus. So there is in Hungary currently around 160 asylum seekers. “Nevertheless, it is there policy, with the fear of an alleged mass invasion.”
Warning against the “enemies of Europe”
On the upswing of right-wing populists, the mainstream parties would have their share, says Knaus and criticized the Austrian government, of the conservative Austrian people’s party (ÖVP) coalition with the right-wing populist FPÖ. Because it was problematic, when the parties moved to the center and is open to coalitions with the “enemies of Europe”. “If a party to the middle to open for a coalition, then the whole country moves in this direction. “
This political conflict could only be encountered by a distinction between regular and irregular Migration, says migration researcher. Among the latter, the refugees. He understood those who argued for a plan to control the borders, and irregular Migration, says Knaus. “There is no right to Migration,” says Knaus.
However, Europe is known to have after the Holocaust, to the principle that no asylum seeker should be placed without examination in danger. Knaus: “This principle is stated in the Geneva Convention, and this principle must continue to apply. The challenge is to combine the control of irregular Migration with respect for the humanitarian principle, people don’t back happen to be in danger. I believe that this is possible.”
The refugees would be? Scene from the Mediterranean sea
Limits of the UN-Migrationspakts
The signing of this UN-migration Pact will unfold in this context, only a relatively small effect, believes Knaus. The Pact, above all, to regulate Migration and to reduce irregular Migration, Knaus. “The only question is: How do we achieve this?”
In October alone of this year, Knaus, were more than 11 000 people from Morocco across the Mediterranean to Spain. “If we want to reduce, we need the co-operation with Morocco and the countries of origin.” You must enable the Incoming, if you need the protection, to their countries of origin bring back. This would reduce irregular, and, moreover, dangerous Migration across the sea. “It is legitimate to reduce it.”
People from Spain, France, Italy or Germany to bring back to Nigeria, in the ivory coast or Senegal, are in need of the Europeans for cooperation with the countries of origin. So these papers would have to issue. To do this, but you need incentives.
“If you leave, therefore, to propose that students from these countries for the purpose of studying or training easier to come to Germany, and these countries are on the increase in return to your irregularly to Europe come citizens, then all will benefit.”