Immigrants, legal and illegal, from the former colonies have been trickling into western societies for decades. The process continues till this day. They now forms a visible segment of the population. They are allowed entry because the West needs their services which the locals are reluctant to perform. Initially it were semi-skilled and skilled workers, for example, from Pakistan and India who were encouraged to migrate to England in the mid of 20th century to meet the demands of textile industry in the United Kingdom. They provided cheap labour.

Immigrants scrimped and saved in their struggle to have a better future for their children. Majority of so-called aliens in the West have been economic migrants. They usually come from lower and middle classes. People with specialised knowledge and skills are a tiny minority but they make an important contribution to the economy of their adopted country. Doctors, nurses, paramedical staff and IT specialists deserve a special mention. But no less important are the immigrants who do menial jobs which locals shun.

With the passage of time there has been a substantial increase in the population of immigrants. A recent inflow of asylum seekers and refugees is adding to their number to the chagrin of the locals. How to tackle such a trickle has become a burning political problem. Consequently, the rise of Far Right challenges the western democracies which in their opinion have not been able to stop illegal immigrants/boat people from landing on Europeans shores. The situation has been exacerbated by economic crunch that manifests itself in the rising cost of living and growing gulf between the incomes of upper and middle classes.

The Far Right patronised by a clutch of powerful politicians some of which are themselves from the families of immigrants exploits people’s economic woes to advance its agenda of majoritarianism and ultra-nationalism instead of pushing for meaningful reforms in the prevalent power structures. White supremacists hold immigrants the root of all wrongs they see in their society.

But now we see a gradual change in their stance; emphasis is shifting from skin colour to faith. The issue of Muslim immigrants has been placed on the front burner. Let’s look briefly at the charge sheet the Far Right issues against the peoples of colour especially Muslims: 1, Immigrants takes their jobs that create unemployment among the white citizens. They are into small and medium size businesses in a big way reducing the opportunities for the white. Seemingly, it’s true but if we look deeper we find the hard-right opinions highly exaggerated and thus out of proportion to the situation on the ground.

As to the reasons why legal and illegal immigrants of colour feel forced to enter western societies are brushed under the carpet. But white people from Eastern Europe and recently from Ukraine are not discriminated against for the ‘sins’ immigrants supposedly commit. The local white has no problem with the alien white.

2, Immigrants are involved in crimes and thus pose a threat to social fabric and public order. Such an allegation is not entirely baseless. Some of semi-literate or poorly-educated young men of immigrant families veer off the normal social course and indulge in serious crimes. Grooming gangs of South Asian Muslims in UK are notorious for their criminal activities. No surprise, more Muslims are in the slammer in proportion to their population.

3, Immigrants from tradition-ridden underdeveloped societies find it hard to integrate. The assertion is true to a large extent. Muslims in particular in their stubbornness simply refuse to be part of their adopted societies socially and culturally. Non-Muslim Africans, for example, are more amenable to new ideas. Muslims from backward and non-democratic societies are usually afflicted by extremist ideologies and religious fanaticism. They have been indoctrinated that the rest of the world is full of scheming infidels who need to be converted or subjugated. That’s why they think the shenanigans they indulge in are a pious defiance. Take the case of Muslims in the UK. They, men and women, do not appropriately dress for the weather. Their women, not all, don burka and make a cultural statement which signifies that they would remain distinct from other citizens. Muslim men all of sudden would start offering prayer right in the middle of a public road forgetting that to prostrate oneself on a road which is not clean goes against Islamic junctions. They in their misplaced zeal wouldn’t hesitate to become a public nuisance. If and when there is a reaction, they would dub it as Islamophobia forgetting their role in stirring it. They will look at you aghast if you ask them whether such freedom is allowed to non-Muslims in their Muslim lands. Not at all. A woman from the west would not be allowed to wear the skirt of her choice on their soil.

Freedoms western societies enjoy are exploited by the immigrants to subvert the very idea of freedom. They use the norms of democracy to strike at the roots of democratic and secular values. At the same the role of the West in creating Muslim extremism in the aftermath of Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan needs to be exposed.

The question of racism is complex. The West has the required analytical ability to probe the fraught situation but it refuses to do so. Led by the USA, it has economic and political interests in keeping the things as they are to retain its hegemony. It not only helps maintain the status quo but also goes to the extent of waging bloody wars on foreign soils to perpetuate its economic and political stranglehold. What it did to Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria is a recent story known to all. They first create conditions which make it impossible for the people to live on their own soil and when they feel compelled to migrate they are blamed for the crimes they would allegedly commit. If the West is serious to solve this longstanding issue it must do at least three things; one, it should stop supporting non-democratic regimes in the developing world. Two, it must stop waging wars against the less powerful countries. If it happens, few aliens would land on its shores. Three, the West must use its clout with the ruling cliques of developing countries compelling them to have democratic structures, representative governments, rule of law and respect for human rights.

If the West can make a fresh start the spectre of immigration would cease to haunt it. — soofi01@hotmail.com

(Concluded)

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2024