Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Alexander Betts and His Ideas about Survival Migration: a short video


In the video below,  Dr- Alexander Betts talks about his ideas concerning "Survival Migration". He notes that different countries offer different responses. Usually they are inadequate. And there he is right.

He is talking about people who suffer "socio-economic rights deprivations" and who should not be forcibly returned to countries of origin because these countries do not meet such fundamental human rights. Existing international laws should be adjusted to make this form of migration acceptable.

To me, this looks at best like a short term measure not unlike the one put in place after the Second World War. Instead, the world's countries that do function well, need to get together to make those that do not function well improve their governance and economies. It would involve China, Russia, Europe, India, and North America doing something constructive in Africa and the Middle East and with combined resources and power to force the adoption of socio-economic rights to survival, education, and jobs in the countries of people's birth. Beyond that, the international community needs international laws about immigration so that people can move across the world in an orderly fashion that accommodates both those immigrating and those receiving immigrants.

But of course, listen to his talk. It is addressing a serious problem working within a frame of the plausible.

https://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/news/survival-migration-and-fragile-states-alexander-betts