From 'welcome' to 'enough' — Europe's migrant view shifts

(THEJAKARTAPOST)Lastfall,soccerfanscelebratedrefugeechildrenatalegendaryMunichstadium;today,Europeanvotersareboostinganti-immigrantpoliticalpartiesandgovernmentsareclosingtheirgatestonewarrivals.TherefrainofEurope'smigrantcrisishaschangedfrom"welcome"to"enoughalready."

HasEuropesuddenlyturnedheartless?Orisitjustwakinguptotherealitythatithasfailedtocollectivelymanagethisdrama?

"Itisnotsustainableanymorethatnoone'splayingacommongame,"saidYvesPascouau,amigrationexpertattheEuropeanPolicyCenter."Weneedtofixthisandreallyneedtomoveahead."

ButnotallEuropeansseethisasaproblemtheymustshare.Worriedabouttheirownweakeconomies,concernedthattheirnationalvaluesareeroding,manysaywarintheMiddleEastandpovertyinAfricaaresomeoneelse'sresponsibility.

Compassionhadtheupperhandjustsixmonthsago,asthenumberofSyrianrefugeessoaredandthephotoofadead3-year-oldonaTurkishbeachgalvanizedvolunteers.Borderguardsgreetedwearytravelerswithahearty"WelcometoGermany,"andChancellorAngelaMerkelinspiredothernationstodothesame.PlayersontheMunichfieldpromotedintegration,holdinghandswitharefugeechildononesideandaGermanchildontheother.

Then,therefugeeskeptcoming,alongwitheconomicmigrantsfromSenegal,peoplefleeingrepressioninSudan,andmany,manyothers.Amidtheswellingtidewasahandfulofviolentextremists,whofoundcommoncausewithangryyoungmenwhosefamiliesarrivedagenerationearlier.

Pariswasattacked.WomenwereassaultedinCologne.Attitudesshifted,creatingaturningpointinthecrisisthathasdominatedEuropeforthepastyearandwilldefineitsimmediatefuture.

Now,resentmentoftheopen-armsapproachisdrivingsupportforaGermannationalistpartythatmadegainsSundayinthreestateelections.Onthemargins,extremeanti-immigrantyouthintheFrenchportofCalaistorchedtiresandblockedmigrantsfromthecenteroftownthisweekend,decryinga"veritableinvasion."Sweden,whichhastakeninmoremigrantspercapitathananyothercountry,hassufferedaspateofarsonattacksonasylumcentersandothersites.

"Europeisatacriticalcrossroads,"saidPrimeMinisterAlexisTsiprasofGreece,thefirststopformigrantsbravingtheseacrossingfromTurkey.Extremerightforces,hesaid,"aretherealthreatforEuropenow."

Governmentsarecrackingdown,too.TheroutehundredsofthousandsofmigrantshavetakenthroughtheBalkanseffectivelyclosedoverthepastfewdays,onenationafteranothershutitsborders.Some42,000peoplearenowstrandedinoverwhelmed,debt-weakenedGreece,including14,000desperatesoulslanguishinginafetidfieldinthebordertownofIdomeni.

SomeEuropeanleadersconsidertheunilateralborderclosurestobeathreattoacontinentmeanttobeborderlessandbasedonconsensus.Butproponentssayit'stheonlywaytoshowmigrantswithlittlechanceofwinningasylumthatsmugglersarepeddlingafalsedreamofeasyprosperityinEurope.

EvenMerkelnowmakesclearthatshedoesn'tplanarepeatoflastSeptember'smovetoletinthemigrantswhohadpiledupinHungary.

ShestillinsistsonaEurope-widesolutionthataddressesthecausesofthismassivemigration.Buthergovernmenthasbeentighteningcontrols—declaringthatseveralBalkannationsandNorthAfricannationsaresafecountriesoforigin,makingtheircitizensineligibleforasylum—asittriestoreducetheinfluxofmigrantswhohavelittlechanceofwinningpermissiontostay.

DeterringthosemigrantsiscentraltothecomplexEUmigrationplanbeingworkedoutthiscomingweek.TheideaisforEuropetosendbacktoTurkeyanyonefromanycountrywhodoesn'tqualifyforasylumorhastriedtoevadetherigorousasylumapplicationprocess.Foreverypersonsentback,EUcountrieswouldtakeinoneconfirmedSyrianwarrefugee.

"Thepolicyofwaving(people)throughisover,"GermanInteriorMinisterThomasdeMaizieretoldZDFtelevisionThursday."Wewanttoreachsolutions.AndasolutionisthatweendtheseillegalwaystoEurope,andsobreakthebusinessmodelofthecriminalsmugglers."

Thecomingwarmseasonmayprovideanswers.WiththeBalkansrouteclosed,othersmayemerge—andanevenmoredangerousjourneyfromlawlessLibyaacrosstheMediterraneantoItalymayofferrenewedpromise.