Italy vs. Austria – Or the helplessness at the borders

The collapsed state in Lybia triggered a new crisis and a new fear of refugees coming to Europe

While the Italian government is investing 34 Million Dollars to boost border controls in Lybia, which has become a hotspot for smugglers, Austrian governments increased its border management at the Brenner and doubled its expenses for Development Aid, in order “to solve the problem at its root”. Italy asks for solidarity from the European countries that is not coming and even wants to initiate an EU-procedure against Austria for the Brenner built.

The Head of the police in Tyrol/Austria as well as Tyrolean regional governmental s judged the current influx of refugees as “not very much, not exciting”, nevertheless the officials are pleased that Austria is being prepared and can act quickly if a new wave of refugees breaks through, like in 2015. Dramatic scenes from the hotspots and calls for solidarity from Italy to the other European countries collide with Austria’s Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz. Not mentioning Austria in specific, Leonard Doyle, Head of Media and Communications for the UN said that the crisis is a crisis of solidarity to Europe and the countries to the south in sub-saharian Africa, where climate change, and income disparity, discrimination and military conflicts are forcing people to flee at the moment.

At least 2000 people died this year trying to reach Europe and human rights violations and labor exploitation is huge due to trafficking. Many ask what can be done and what is right to do?

Yesterday the journalists of Radio BLM Vienna spent an interesting evening with one of main representative of the Austrian development Aid ADA. The representative considers the policy of Sebastian Kurz to invest in African countries to avoid influx as being long-sighted and wise. Nevertheless he does not believe that Europe or the rest of the world will fulfill a sort of promised so-called Marshall-Plan. From its beginning the ADA only supported small initiatives and projects in Africa or elsewhere.  The ADA encounters much criticism due to the inefficiency of these projects and their attempts to help in little dimensions.

We will discuss… Dr. Bukasa, Sintayhe Tsehay, Moyen Gilbert, Cyril Ozoekwe, Madge Gill Bukasa