Immigration in the Time of Imperialism

By Gaither Stewart, Senior Editor of TGP & Cyrano’s Journal.

The accident happened around 100 miles south of the Italian island of Lampedusa where more than 300 Eritreans perished last autumn, according to reports in the Italian media. The boat was around 50 miles north of Libya.  (Source: Mail online -UK)

While Americans marked the national holiday weekend of July 4, 5000 migrants on no less shaky vessels were picked up on the Mediterranean by Italian patrol boats. On July 2 alone, 70 unknown and unidentified, probably sub-Saharan, persons departing from North Africa were lost to the sea’s waters in another accident. Most people have already forgotten the 360 people who perished in the waters of Mare Nostrum near the Italian island of Lampedusa, half way from Libya—the chief jumping off point—to continental Italy. The hell left behind by US/NATO forces after they brought “democracy” to the Libya that was once one of Africa’s most  progressive countries, has no means nor desire to hold African immigrants waiting for the crossing to magical Europe.

Since Italy abrogated last year an immigration law that theoretically refused entry to immigrants from Africa, in the first six months of 2014 alone, 65,000 migrants have arrived in Italy. Most passed through reception centers on the island of Lampedusa. In 2013, when the strict immigration law was in effect, 8,000 were recorded in the early months of year. Italy claims that for geographical reasons it bears the brunt of the predicted waves immigrants from Africa’s poorest and most war-torn countries and demands help from the European Union. The EU countries of northern Europe led by Germany respond that they receive many more immigrants for integration than does Italy. It is true that most immigrants from Africa and the Middle East aim for North Europe, especially Germany where sufficient employment is available. Italy with nearly 13% unemployment and 40% of its youth between 15-26 years unemployed, has little to offer.

To EU bureaucracy the immigration problem seems insoluble. Yet Europe has had two decades to prepare for what is now an emergency: last century journalists, novelists, academic specialists warned over and again that if oil was the issue of the 20th century, the twin problems of water and immigration were to be the great world problems of the 21st century.

Chinese or American walls are useless to stop the flow. The dangerous Mediterranean lies in wait. A complete naval blockade is unthinkable, impossible. And despite all laws and blocks, despite Mare Nostrum, Africa is arriving. Africa is here.

Moreover, with each of America’s wars in its Middle Eastern-East European expansion strategy the waves of immigration swell: Libyans, Tunisians, Egyptians, Syrians, East Europeans aim at (once) rich Europe.

The bill for centuries of colonialism and exploitation and now current US imperialism has fallen due. Africans and Middle Easterners are here to collect that bill.

Sooner or later, there is always a payback.