A few days ago, some seven thousand migrants from sub-Saharan Africa landed on the small Italian island of Lampedusa, and since then all of Europe has been in turmoil. This “invasion” is becoming the main topic of conversation on television channels and the big question now facing Europe is how to stop this migratory flow. The question is no longer how to manage these migrants when they arrive in Europe, but how to ensure that they can no longer set foot on the continent. Several methods have been tried, such as paying the Maghreb countries or Turkey dearly so that they block them at home, forcing them to return where they come from, to make them experience real hell in a country such as Libya, and also now Algeria and Tunisia, so that they no longer want to pass through these territories, but nothing helps. More and more of them attempt the crossing, and succeed in passing. Even if even more of them perish in the desert or in the sea. Why are these young Africans so keen to go to Europe? How can we prevent them from getting there? Before we attempt to answer these questions, let’s do a little history.
In October 1492, the Genoese Christopher Columbus set foot on a Caribbean island thinking he had reached India. Later other European navigators would discover what would be called the New World, to which the name America would be given. Since then, millions of Europeans have landed on these lands and taken possession of them, massacring the indigenous populations found there or marginalizing them and penning them into reserves. They forcibly took people from Africa and Asia there to serve them as slaves or cheap labor. Later the same process took place in Australia, New Zealand and southern Africa. Why did these Europeans leave their continent in such large numbers, risking their lives? We can imagine that in past centuries, crossing the oceans to reach America, the end of Africa or Australia was a very perilous adventure, perhaps as perilous as crossing the Mediterranean on boats today of Fortune. Why were they taking all these risks? It’s because they were going to seek fortune or just a better life, fleeing poverty or war. Like today’s young migrants, whether they come from Africa, the Middle East, or Afghanistan. Or from Latin America to the United States. Like the “boat people” from Vietnam or Cambodia a few decades ago. Let Europeans have no illusions. As long as there is poverty in African countries, as long as there are wars, dictatorships, massacres in Africa, young Africans will flee to other skies which will seem more lenient to them and no measure will prevent them. will stop.
Is it not possible to do otherwise? If ! we must ensure that poverty, injustices and inequalities disappear or diminish on this continent, or ensure that Europe no longer makes Africans fantasize unnecessarily. There are many young Africans who enjoy perfectly good situations at home but who abandon them to go into exile in Europe, believing they will find El Dorado there. This is how one of my school friends who worked as a high school teacher abandoned his job to find himself a security guard in Paris. And at the moment a young girl from Daoukro who is doing quite well as a trader is harassing me to help her find a visa so that she can “find herself” in France.
In 2050 Africa will have more than two billion inhabitants. If this continent does not begin its development, it is its neighbor Europe which will be submerged. But Africa has all the elements to develop. A young, dynamic, inventive population, increasingly better trained and totally connected with the rest of the world, as well as raw materials in abundance. What it lacks is perhaps faith in herself, in her abilities. What is also holding it back are the numerous obstacles that the global economic system has placed on it, including the famous development aid which is a real simpleton trap which only serves to keep Africa dependent. Aging Europe must understand that it is in its interest to really help Africa develop, otherwise the great replacement that Eric Zemmour fears will end up taking place.
By Venance Konan
*This article has been translated from French into English by Marcus Boni Teiga
