Amy Pope, head of the Organization for Migration: “If we only address immigration when asylum requests arrive, we have failed”

2024-01-30 09:27:08

Since last October, Amy Pope She is the first female CEO of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 72 years of existence of this organization. An encouraging preamble at a very critical moment for a phenomenon that generates rejection in many of the richest countries in the world and even in some of the most disadvantaged. In this context, Pope spoke to El Periódico de Catalunya, from the Prensa Ibérica group, in an in-person interview granted on the sidelines of a congress organized by the Order of Malta in Rome. A conversation in which at times he also expressed himself without mincing words.

What are the migration crises that concern you most at the moment?

I just returned from Chad where there are displaced communities from Sudan. It is the country that currently has the largest number of displaced people in the world due to the conflict [que continúa desde abril y mantiene enfrentados al Ejército regular sudanés y fuerzas paramilitares]. They are people who are crossing the border with Chad, South Sudan and Egypt in a situation of extreme vulnerability, but unfortunately at this moment there are not enough humanitarian resources to care for them. Another issue is the large number of people displaced by the climate crisis, who have no legal protection, as they are not considered refugees, and who have no ability to farm, fish or provide food for their children. The number of displaced people in the world will continue to grow if we do not address the growing needs of these communities.

“The number of displaced people in the world will continue to grow if we do not address the growing needs of communities affected by the climate crisis”

What long-term consequences does the war in Gaza imply?

Well, the infrastructure in Gaza is being destroyed at an alarming rate, schools, hospitals… Young people are being traumatized. Entire communities are being uprooted and displaced. Rebuilding in Gaza will require tremendous support from everyone in the humanitarian community. With the devastation continuing in the region, the challenges are increasing by the day.

Italy wants to send the migrants it rescues to detention centers in Albania. United Kingdom, to Rwanda. What do you think of these initiatives?

The truth is that we have not seen very good examples of outsourcing asylum processes. As an organisation, we firmly believe in the importance of ensuring that people have the right to make their asylum claims. And that they can do it effectively. It is not clear to us how these new programs will allow these people to make their asylum claims effectively from an operational, logistical and humanitarian point of view. So it is not clear what value [estas iniciativas] they will add ultimately. Furthermore, the reality is that the number of asylum seekers increases because these people do not find other paths or ways to request asylum or economic opportunities.

“We have to understand why these people leave, where they go, and how they get there”

What do you think that some countries, including Spain, have carried out rapid returns of migrants?

International law is clear in stating that these people cannot be returned without being given the opportunity to present their request for asylum if they request it. These returns are therefore of great concern because these foundations of international law are supported by a commitment made by many states around the world. Furthermore, I insist, if we only address the problem of migration when [estas personas] They are already asking for asylum, it is because we have failed to intervene at many times along their route. […] We cannot limit ourselves to addressing immigration only at the borders. We must analyze these phenomena comprehensively. We have to understand why these people leave, where they go, and how they get there. How we address all those factors.

You defend that immigrants are an opportunity. But that is not what many governments say.

Well, there is some light. Governments such as the Italian one have recognized what immigrants need and we have heard them speak clearly about the importance of granting visas to people who can meet the needs of their labor market. […] We are in conversations with many countries. None of this is easy, but with good partners we believe it can be achieved.

“It is promising that there is recognition that Europe needs migrants and that ways need to be found for these people to migrate in a safe and regulated way”

Frontex, the EU’s external border protection body, has received a lot of criticism for years. Do you see particularly problematic aspects in the operations of this European agency?

I believe that Frontex is an organization that is still working to find ways to better address the needs of its member states. And, certainly, it is a complicated task. That’s why I don’t think we’re necessarily well prepared to give an opinion on the matter. Still, what I can say is that I think that if these people are returned it would be much more effective if [antes] explore how they can be reintegrated into their local economies. Because if you just return someone to their home and don’t have a plan, there’s a good chance that person will migrate again. As I said before, we are trying to alert governments to address the issue in a much more comprehensive way.

What do you think of the new European migration pact? Also in this case there has been various criticisms.

We don’t have that position. We believe that we will have to evaluate it once it comes into force. But again, I think it is promising that there is recognition that Europe needs migrants and that ways need to be found for these people to migrate in a safe and regulated way.