Migrants and refugees are being used as weapons

Migration researcher Kelly Greenhill discusses how states use migrants and refugees to achieve their objectives in an interview with SPIEGEL. According to her, this is not a new phenomenon but has been a common strategy by states since at least 1951. The objectives can vary widely, from financial to diplomatic gains or even to destabilize other states. States like Belarus, Tunisia, and Turkey are cited as examples. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, for instance, has used migrants to expose EU’s double standards and provoke a harsh response.

Greenhill mentions that it’s not just about money; for instance, Morocco used migrants to pressure Spain into changing its policy on Western Sahara, and Turkey wanted visa freedom and EU membership talks in addition to financial aid. She argues that migrants and refugees are the real victims and are being used as “weapons of mass migration.”

Various European responses to these tactics are discussed, ranging from military action and caving into demands, to forcefully closing borders, as Greece did with Turkey. Greenhill suggests that a humanitarian response, such as the EU’s approach with Ukrainian refugees, can be effective if the migrants are viewed as part of the “in-group” rather than a threat.

Although the manipulation of migration is a longstanding issue, international agreements like the Geneva Refugee Convention still offer some level of protection for refugees, demonstrating that states have not entirely abandoned the idea that refugees deserve protection.

The entire article can be read at the link https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/migrationspolitik-migranten-und-fluechtlinge-werden-als-waffen-missbraucht-das-ist-die-realitaet-a-9627dcc1-a091-4d75-ac31-314a5a8fcbb6