Liz Fekete - Deputy Director
of the Institute of Race Relations
www.irr.org.uk
1. Why I am here?
An educational charity set up to combat racism knows that the main targets
of popular racism are asylum seekers and refugees. While hostility towards
impoverished strangers is derived from press and politicians, it feeds
off ignorance about world events, let alone the UK's role in those
world events.
Since production of the
book, the war on terror has given the Refugee Project much more
work to do. Previously, we looked at how UK foreign investment policy
creates refugees, but now we have to look at how the UK's approach
to the war on terror creates refugees. Highlight three areas:
- Exporting of counter-terrorism measures
- Securitisation of aid agenda
- Militarisation of EU borders to keep out refugees.
A. Exporting counter-terrorism measures.
UK boasts its expertise in Northern Ireland in terms of counter-terrorism.
Whereas processes that facilitate peace should be exported, we export
the very processes that facilitate human rights abuses through the violation
of international law. The UK has been a prime mover in global security
regime and UN Resolution 1373 that imposes for the first time on all
states an obligation to take measures against terrorism. The UK chaired
the Counter-Terrorism Committee which gave member states a fixed period
to comply.
These policies have set back the democratisation efforts in South East
Asia - countries like the Philippines, Indonesia that were coming
out of periods of authoritarian dictatorship a decade. We now approve
policies of detention without trial etc, and turn a blind eye to corruption
and human rights abuses in allied countries Just look at what's
happening in Indonesia, strengthening of military, onslaught in Acheh.
Cabinet Office report states that we are providing training to security
forces in India, Philippines, Indonesia and Nepal.)
B. Securitisation of Aid Agenda
Global Security Development Network of BOND - (network of British
agencies working in field of development and emergency relief) have
shown that international aid is no longer linked to the reduction of
poverty and sustainable development but new conditionalities are introduced
in order to fund the fight against terrorism with combating terrorism
made an primary goal by donor countries. Defence expenditure is boosted
while development expenditure decreases leading to a destabilisation
of development, facilitates human rights abuse and sows the seed of
further conflict.
C. EU Border Control Programme
Similar process. Money that could be given over to the integration of
refugees or to humanitarian projects is being diverted to EU wide border
protection programmes designed to stop asylum seekers getting here in
the first place.
In fifty counter-terrorist measures proposed post Madrid creation of
an EU Border Control Agency was explicitly mentioned as a counter-terror
goal. Rhetoric on war against terror being linked to policies designed
to prevent asylum seekers crossing international borders to seek asylum.
UK has been a prime mover in maritime border projects, and a participant
in Operation Ulysses, a pilot project to patrol the Mediterranean and
prevent boats reaching European waters. Alongside Italy, it has put
pressure on Cyprus to create a special detention centre where all boat
people will be taken for processing and then deportation.
An aim of this project is to provide a platform for refugees to tell their stories. We also need to provide a platform for refugees who cannot tell their stories, who died in their attempt to reach Europe, who died in order to live.
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