Our migrations are at the root of Europe

Today, Europe is dealing with a challenging situation, with hundreds of thousands of exiles arriving at its doorstep or with nowhere else to go. Certainly, these people will be taken care of, somehow or other, but the European states are not really prepared, Europe is not prepared, neither materially prepared to share its resources nor mentally prepared to keep track of the present-day crisis…

The current chaotic attitude is undoubtedly a result of the traditionally protectionist policies of the European Union Member States, and of the attitude of every person who is afraid of the violence of others (different from oneself: foreign).

The lack of resources is a minor problem: one can generally find a solution to material inequality if the political will is there. The real question lies in the collective psychology or willingness of Europeans to let their lives be transformed by the arrival of migrants forced into exile. And actually, the current, rarely expected, potential change is much more complex and sensitive than the one "under control" experienced during the great labour migration of the 1950s and later in the last century, which was a response to a predefined plan, namely the reconstruction of the comfort of some, the Europeans, to the detriment, at least in the short term, of others, the "immigrants".

Today, most of us would readily agree that in terms of migration and coexistence many changes are foreseeable at the social, demographic, economic, climatic, linguistic, cultural, religious or denominational levels. But, how deep are these changes? Josefa asks us: "Who are we and what do we want for the present and for the future? Are we not "all migrants"? Are we ready to accept our "migrant status" and to walk together, forced migrants with "free" migrants?

Saving lives, providing shelter, feeding hungry people are all essential, generous and vital. But, do these charitable acts lead to an in-depth transformation of our societies? Or, do they hide more fundamental questions that we dare not look into, because it may cause a division of "power"? Is it about "saving refugees" or "saving our society"?

The influx of forced migrants, exiles, can be an "opportunity" for Europe, more than just an enrichment in providing hospitality without true reciprocity. The act of welcoming and helping others prevents us from accepting our own fragile state and from acknowledging that we too need help, need to be welcomed and thus transformed.

Migration itself can be a journey of conversion. Europe has always been, and always will be, a continent of migration: a land of welcome and exile, Europe is also a region that strives and declares itself to be one of the richest and most prosperous on our planet. Accordingly, in order to pursue its "development", Europe not only has to cope with the challenges of migration, but has to accept and embrace these challenges completely and without hesitation. Europe’s current "migration" should not be ignored, for its future will be determined by it and not in spite of it.

The European Union is indeed not the stakeholder: the member states are the stakeholders. And actually, with diverging opinions at the European level, nation-states are facing with great difficulty the current constraints of migratory flows. Therefore, the European Union must assume its role as a visionary authority: a super governing body. Europe must see far off, beyond the quarrels of countries, protectorates, borders, and internal struggles: the key to the future can be found in historical events; our migrations force us to think, not only about the management of the generous humanitarian act, but about its meaning. Daring to ask: why? And not only: how?

That said, it is important to recall the need for a common European approach to migration and asylum, so that member states can only give up their individual right to veto when there is a phenomenon that goes beyond intra-European issues and touches humanity, each person. A common approach to borders, notions of asylum and a common migration policy will inevitably develop in the future, in Europe, towards a globalized governance. So why not today?

As long as nation-states are focused on protecting their own prerogatives, they will not be very efficient. The forced migration of hundreds of thousands of exiles has certainly put a strain on the conservative plans for integration or the living together under communalism.

The (nation, or even European) state ends up questioning its purpose. Should it serve only those within its borders or rather reach out to all of humanity, to the greatest number of individuals?

At this stage there appears to be a second "layer". Which individual are we talking about? Do our migrations, free and forced, encourage us to think not only of each person, which is better than a number or a statistical figure, but of all aspects of the person, including his baggage, in which he carries the codes and convictions of another world, or even another time.

Therefore, it’s no longer about borders, integration or the preservation of European identities, but more about allowing ourselves to be affected by the unexpected meaning of our migrations, that of hospitality and reciprocity. All that we share, the common good, is not given only once: it is received tomorrow, more than today and even more than yesterday.

The appropriation of our migrations is unreservedly at the heart of our European states. They are roads of peace that go beyond our fears and are not short-lived but enduring. An invitation to a renewed praxis, our migrations constitute a challenge that we can only face by taking part in it fully and accepting its overwhelming effect on us.

So, before tomorrow, let us enter the era of mobility, of a common exile, that of the journey at the heart of our cities. Europe, in its states, will thus become a step towards a humanity in search of peace, thus a migrating humanity, on the way to a much-desired eternity.

Together, all migrants.

Gilbert