On Immigration....
March 1, 2024 - A look at immigration, along with the world this week
Happy birthday Nick and Nina! Who don’t actually know one another…. And happiest of birthdays to my beautiful sister-in-law Lisa. We love you!
On Tuesday, Gallup published data1 that shows that “significantly more Americans name immigration as the most important problem facing the US (28%)” than it did a month ago. It has passed the government as the most often cited problem and ranks high above concerns over inflation and crime. It’s no surprise then that Joe Biden and Donald Trump went to the US border with Mexico yesterday, in separate trips, in case that was in doubt….
Last night, I moderated a panel about refugees and resettlement in the US at the Council on Foreign Relations. It helped me get a better handle on what’s happening “on the border” — and the wider topic of migration and immigration. A few takeaways:
What’s in a name? A refugee is not the same as a migrant, which is not the same as an immigrant or an asylum seeker. The IRC has this helpful guide to each.
Legal framework: Regarding refugees, the 1951 Refugee Convention lays out what constitutes a refugee and the kind of legal protections he, she, they should receive from signatory countries. In 1967, a protocol was added to the convention, which had previously been limited to protecting refugees in Europe during World War II. The 1967 protocol removes geography and timeframe. In the US, Jimmy Carter signed the 1980 Refugee Act. It “established permanent procedures for vetting, admitting, and resettling refugees into the country,” as this CFR backgrounder notes.
What’s left out: The 1980 Refugee Act defines a refugee as an individual who is fleeing persecution for race, religion, nationality, political affiliation, or membership to a particular group. It does NOT consider sex or gender — or, more recently, the environment and those pushed from their homes because of climate change — in considering refugee status. Women fleeing gender-based violence or those fleeing floods, fires, erosion as a result of climate change do not qualify as refugees according to this act. Case in point, why having women and people of color, the biggest victims of climate change, at the table is important.
Give me your…huddled masses: Amid the headlines of chaos at the border, with hundreds of thousands seeking entry into the US, there is another narrative. There are a sizable number of refugees, but there is also a sizable number of individuals and communities who want to get involved and sponsor refugees. This is a part of a new program called Welcome Corps. Friends, neighbors, communities can come together to sponsor refugees eager to come to the United States.
Those of us who see the value of welcoming refugees, migrants, and immigrants speak about how these individuals contribute to growth and progress; how they enrich culture and community. (Dim sum, tamales, falafel, and khachapuri people. Also, where do you think the bagel came from?) We talk about the moral imperative to do so. We have, so we can — and should.
These arguments are not enough for those who want to keep “others” out. Yet, it may be too simplistic to reduce their rejection to xenophobia. More Americans say immigration is a top concern at a time when inequality is widening and technology is making many jobs obsolete. There are factories that have moved to Mexico. More have become automated. Soon, cars will drive themselves and robots will deliver our takeout. When I hear people opposed to immigration talk, who also include many immigrants themselves, they focus on fairness. Many talk about how immigration will take away — jobs, resources, housing. (While others do talk about how immigration will bring crime, which has been refuted.)
The US desperately needs to pass legislation on immigration and stop the “chaos” at the border. Yet, to actually address the immigration issue, leaders need to find different ways, such as the sponsorship program, to bring in those eager to come to the country. More importantly, they need to go deep and address inequality, which includes choosing people over corporate interests and billionaires.
Blame and finger pointing make good headlines. Except, we don’t elect our representatives, mayors, governors, legislators, and presidents, to make headlines. Demagoguery is a bigger danger to America — and the world — than immigration ever will be. — Elmira
I’m opening up my column to others. Please pitch me your op-ed idea/perspective. Let’s get more female perspectives. Email me on endeavoringe@gmail.com or respond to this post.
Elsewhere in the World.....
On our radar...
Border crisis
Are you confused about what’s happening at the border? What is the asylum process? Elina Treyger and Shelly Culbertson lay it all out with this useful primer. (RAND)
Biden visited the US-Mexico border on Thursday. Was it just a photo-op? Mayors and governors across the US are here to tell the president that all states are border states, write Sudiksha Kochi and Joey Garrison. (USA Today)
Meanwhile, the Border Patrol Union has said that Biden’s visit to the US-Mexico border is “too little, too late.” Natalie Venegas has the details. (Newsweek)
Immigration is good and our policy should reflect that, argue Lindsay Koshgarian and Alliyah Lusuegro. (Foreign Policy in Focus) We agree.
Navalny
Alexei Navalny will be laid to rest on Friday, March 1, after a two-week battle to recover his body from the Siberian penal colony. Two pieces of interest, one of which is probably Elmira’s favorite read of the week:
The prime suspect in Navalny’s death is obvious. But, while Russian President Vladimir Putin’s role is all but undeniable, there is a silent accomplice whose part in this tragedy must not be ignored: the economic policies adopted in the early 1990s — policies that the US vehemently pushed for and championed. Antara Haldar on how “shock therapy” led to massive privatization and the birth of Russia’s oligarchy and the country’s corrupt class. (Project Syndicate)
Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya has stepped forward to carry on her husband’s fight against Putin and Russia’s corruption. Farida Jalalzai on three things to consider as she does so - one includes the limits of female power. (The Conversation)
Africa
Here’s something to keep an eye on: Simmering tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia. Ethiopia is landlocked. At the beginning of the year, it signed an agreement with Somaliland, which is not Somalia, but a self-declared breakaway region, for access to the sea, specifically the Gulf of Aden. Yeah, this did not please Somalia. Teresa Nogueira Pinto provides insight. (GIS Reports)
Senegal has long been considered a shining example of democracy in West Africa. Postponing the February elections has put that into question. Adji Bousso Dieng believes it can be restored, based on the will of the Senegalese people and the country’s track record. (Time)
Asia
China has thousands of Navalnys, writes Li Yuan. But the Chinese government makes sure to make them disappear from public view. (NYT)
Following the UN’s meeting on Afghanistan and the Taliban last weekend, there doesn’t appear to be any movement towards accepting the Taliban government, writes Shanthie Mariet D’Souza. (The Diplomat)
The Americas
In Brazil, former President Jair Bolsonaro’s supporters filled the streets of the country’s capital, Sao Paulo, this past week. They were protesting the ongoing investigation of Bolsonaro’s potential involvement in an alleged coup plot during Brazil’s 2022 presidential election. Cecilia Godoy, Joel Korn, Rubens Barbosa, and Gilberto Rodrigues wonder what this means for his Liberal Party and Brazil’s government. (The Dialogue)
Europe
Welcome to NATO Sweden. Hungary’s pro-Russian leader, Viktor Orbán, removed his objection to the Scandinavian country’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (He got some fighter jets.) Miranda Bryant considers what Sweden’s entry means for NATO and for Sweden itself. (The Guardian)
Alors, Monsieur Macron. This week the French leader rattled Europe with a suggestion that Europe could send soldiers into Ukraine. Clea Caulcutt on Macron’s big vision to be a big leader and why that won’t pan out with this suggestion. (Politico)
Interesting: Macron, at 5ft 7in is not the shortest European leader. That title goes to the UK’s Rishi Sunak and Germany’s Olaf Scholz who both come in at 5ft 6in. Putin and Zelensky both come in at 5ft 7in too. (In case you were wondering…)
Europe’s far-right leaders agree on most things, except when it comes to Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orbán v. Meloni? Frida Ghitis on where the different leaders stand. (WPR)
Vladimir Putin has a warped view of Russian history and the world. Olga Khvostunova says understanding how Putin sees the world will help us understand how the war with Ukraine will end. (Foreign Policy Research Institute)
Middle East
Aaron Bushnell set himself on fire last Sunday, in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC. As he did, he proclaimed, “Free Palestine,” and noted that he would “no longer be complicit in genocide.” Belén Fernández says that his extreme act of protest puts Western corporate media to shame. (Al Jazeera)
As Israel’s bombardment of Gaza rages on, in the West Bank, Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh resigned this week. Ellen Ioanes on what this means for the Palestinian Authority and Palestinian politics. (Vox)
Millions of Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza. As Israel talks about targeting the city, many are desperate to get out, yet there is a price: up to $10,000. Lisa Goldman talked to a number of Palestinians eager for passage into safety. (New Lines Magazine)
Rebuilding post-war Gaza will be a massive endeavor, says Ananya Kumar. A recent estimate by the UN says it will cost nearly $20 billion. Kumar highlights the difficulties Palestinians will face in rebuilding their economy – from overreliance on cash before the war to high reliance on international aid and assistance. (Atlantic Council)
Science & Climate Change
A new arena of geopolitical competition is developing beneath the ocean surface, and the UK may be leading the charge. The ocean environment provides important climate functions – such as providing 50% of the oxygen we need and absorbing 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions. Grace Cassy explains the subsea domain. (Chatham House)
Mexico City, one of the world’s largest cities, may be mere months away from running out of water. Laura Paddison, Jack Guy, and Fidel Gutiérrez explain how climate change is speeding up this crisis, as well as infrastructure changes that could mitigate it. (CNN)
Under the Radar
Protests from farmers in Europe and across the world are becoming increasingly common, but how are governments going to help farmers and keep their nations’ food supply chains healthy? Sanda Uwera Murasa suggests governments should tune into “Agroecology,” which works to optimize relationships between farmers, their governments, and the environment for a more stable food supply. (Euronews)
This week, Ghana’s Parliament passed a bill imposing jail sentences for people who identify as LGBTQ or organize gay advocacy groups. Ruth Maclean and Elian Peltier weigh in on these harsh measures that are gaining traction in Africa. (NYT)
Opportunities
Remote, The Economic Security Project has two positions open: Program Manager and Associate Director for the Build the Field project. You get to work with Dave Algoso!
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission is hiring an Executive Director
Editorial Team
Elmira Bayrasli - Editor-in-Chief
Editors:
Pin-Shan Lai
Catherine Lovizio
Emily Smith
Hat tip to Drezner’s World for the pointer.