In 2019 the European Parliament elections were the catalyst for me to engage in politics like I have never done before. I joined the German Greens and participated in their election campaign. I went to demonstrations for a strong European Union. And while never having one thought those EU star hoodies were quite cool. But today, five years down the line, none of that enthusiasm remains. I left the Greens for their inhumane stance on asylum and Gaza. Demonstrations for Europe today are mostly demonstrations against the rest of the world. And the stars on the hoodies look like borders around the heart. The Union has changed.
Today, that same European Parliament I was excited for just five years ago, voted to completely overhaul the “Common European Asylum System” (CEAS). It ended the recognition of individual asylum, opened the doors for large scale concentration camps outside of the Union and will allow deportations into unsafe countries a person may have never been to. How exactly this system will work against the world is too much for this admittedly unplanned release, but I will leave so resources at the end so you can follow it.
While I am deeply disappointed, I am sadly not surprised. Frontex, once a small operation to coordinate border patrol at the outside of the EU’s border, was just recently turned into a full-fledged army, defending the Union from starving children. Something that falls perfectly in line with an observation I made recently… even though it has always been there.
The Union does not create new privileges or hurdles, it only rearranges existing ones in a way that white Europeans increase their privilege and everyone else faces more hurdles. Take Europe’s Schengen Area as an example. Today every European is free to move within the continent, but getting into the continent is harder than ever before. For instance, when Poland opens the border to Germany, suddenly all the borders surrounding Poland are also of interest of Germany. This new huge “external” border is characterised by not being limited by conditions to entry of one country, but 29.
But the increase internal privilege is not all the Union get from this. Having a jointly enforced external border, means having a stronger external border. And having a stronger external border, paired with Europe’s racist view of the world, means being able to be more reckless. Why worry about climate change, if your continent will be hit less than the rest of the world… and you can ensure the rest of the world stays out? Why care about civilians in Gaza, Yemen or Rojava… if those people cannot come to Europe anyway?
Europe is the most privileged continent in the world, build on centuries of colonialism and exploitation of the world. And Europe wants it to stay that way. But with increasingly dire situations around the world, due also to Europe’s actions, keeping up this system requires increasingly more violent actions.
The CEAS reform and the new Frontex are truly only the tip of the iceberg. A response to ensure Europe’s privilege against the world. But with that privilege increasing in a world going downhill, these responses need to increasingly escalate.
The reason Europe cannot just open its borders to anyone is not that suddenly the world would come. No, the reason is that if Europe opens up its borders it would start to act responsible towards the world. A Europe with open borders is not a crazy fantasy if Europe honoured its values and words.
I grew up in a town, who’s most famous landmark exclaims “concordia domi, foris pax” – unity inside, peace outside. Out of pure naivety this was my idea of the European Union, as a new state that could replace the barbarous lack of unity inside Europe and do good for the world. Today I know I was wrong. The unity is only a means for war outside.
Thank you for reading my admittedly quickly scribbled down thoughts I felt after seeing the CEAS pass the EU Parliament. I warmly invite you to take this issue seriously and carry it to the polls this June. Personally, I want to indorse my new party: MERA25, which will be on the ballot in Germany. Furthermore, I want to make you aware of some NGOs doing their best against this EU. Civil rescue missions save thousands of people from drowning each year and need every cent to make that possible: Seawatch, Sea-Eye, Open Arms, RESQSHIP, Mediterranea and many more. For more on Frontex I advise to look at the “No Frontex” and “Abolish Frontex” campaigns. For anyone speaking German “Pro Asyl” is a really powerful source of insights on everything concerning people on the move. Also consider following Tareq Alaows (@tareqalaows on insta), who is a “Pro Asyl” spokesperson, always providing relevant news. There are so many more people and organisations more I would love to recommend, but because I want to publish this today that will have to be done on another day.