Since last October, Amy Pope She became the company’s first female CEO International Organization for Migration (IOM) In the 72 years of existence of this organization. It is an encouraging introduction at a crucial moment to a phenomenon that has caused rejection in many of the world’s richest countries and even in many of the most disadvantaged. In this context, the Pope spoke to El Periódico de Catalunya of the Prensa Ibérica group in a face-to-face interview given on the sidelines of a congress organized by the Order of Malta in Rome. A conversation in which he expresses himself without mincing words from time to time.
What migration crises concern you the most right now?
I just returned from Chad, where there are displaced communities from Sudan. The country currently home to the most displaced people in the world due to conflict [que continúa desde abril y mantiene enfrentados al Ejército regular sudanés y fuerzas paramilitares]. These are people who have crossed the border into Chad, South Sudan and Egypt in an extremely vulnerable situation, but unfortunately there are not enough human resources to care for them at the moment. Another problem is that there are large numbers of people displaced by the climate crisis who have no legal protection because they are not considered refugees and do not have the opportunity to farm, fish or provide food for their children. If we do not respond to the growing needs of these communities, the number of displaced people in the world will continue to increase.
“If we do not meet the growing needs of communities affected by the climate crisis, the number of displaced people in the world will continue to increase.”
What long-term consequences does the war in Gaza have?
Gaza’s infrastructure is being destroyed at an alarming rate, schools, hospitals… Young people are traumatized. Entire communities are being uprooted and displaced. Reconstruction in Gaza will require tremendous support from everyone in the humanitarian community. With the ongoing destruction in the region, the challenges are increasing day by day.
Italy wants to send the immigrants it rescued to detention centers in Albania. UK to Rwanda. What do you think about 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 seek asylum. And that they can do it effectively. It is not clear to us how these new programs will enable these people to make their asylum claims in an operationally, logistically and humanitarianly effective way. So it is not clear which value it is. [estas iniciativas] They will add it eventually. Moreover, the reality is that the number of asylum seekers is increasing because these people cannot find other ways or avenues or economic opportunities to seek asylum.
“We need to understand why these people are leaving, where they’re going and how they got there.”
What do you think about the rapid return of immigrants to some countries, including Spain?
International law clearly states that these people cannot be sent back without being given the opportunity to present their asylum claims if they so wish. These rollbacks are therefore of great concern because these foundations of international law are supported by commitments made by many states around the world. Moreover, I insist that we only address the migration problem as follows: [estas personas] They are already seeking asylum because we have failed to intervene many times along their route. […] We cannot limit ourselves to addressing migration only at borders. We need to analyze these events comprehensively. We need to understand why these people left, where they went, and how they got there. How do we address all these factors?
You argue that immigrants are an opportunity. But that’s not what many governments are saying.
Luckily there is some light. Governments such as the Italian government have recognized what immigrants need, and we have heard them speak openly about the importance of granting visas to people who can meet the needs of the labor market. […] We are in talks with many countries. None of these are easy, but we believe they can be achieved with good partners.
“It is encouraging to recognize that Europe needs immigrants and that ways must be found for these people to migrate in a safe and orderly manner.”
Frontex, the EU’s external border protection body, has been subject to a lot of criticism for years. Do you see any particularly problematic aspects in the activities of this European institution?
I believe that Frontex is an organization that is still trying to find ways to better meet the needs of its member states. And of course this is a complicated task. For this reason, I do not think we are ready enough to give an opinion on the subject. However, I can say that it would be much more effective if these people were returned. [antes] explore how they can be reintegrated into their local economies. Because if you send someone back home and you don’t have a plan, there’s a high chance that person will emigrate again. As I said before, we are trying to warn governments to address the issue in a much more comprehensive manner.
What do you think about the new European migration pact? Various criticisms were made on this issue.
We do not have such a position. We believe that we need to evaluate it after it comes into force. But I still think it’s hopeful to recognize that Europe needs immigrants and that ways need to be found for these people to migrate in a safe and orderly way.