The World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) issued a statement today marking International Migrants Day 2020, condemning the role of imperialism in creating migrant crises and at the same time using racism and xenophobia to disorientate working people.
The YCL is Britain’s affiliate to WFDY, one of over 180 progressive and anti-imperialist youth organisations from more than 100 countries that are members. WFDY organises campaigns as well as solidarity brigades in support of peace, self-determination for all people and social and economic progress.
Yesterday, the 18th of December was the International Migrants Day. War, interventions and occupations are generating the increase of migrations and refugees all over the world.
During this year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the drama of people forced to migrate and seek refuge has not been stopped. It is estimated that so far this year alone in the Mediterranean around 1,000 people have lost their lives trying to seek asylum. Dramas such as those that took place on the border between Turkey and Greece, on the Canary Islands, or at the Moria camp in Greece are also worth mentioning.
Some countries have even taken advantage of the drama of the pandemic to tighten their inhumane migration policies or to accuse them of being the focus of contagion. Historically, but also actually, fascists, the extreme right and fundamentalists have promoted xenophobia and racism against migrants and refugees and the ruling class have taken advantage of this situation disorienting the working class from focusing on their class opponent and making them focus on artificial divisions such as those related to migrants and refugees instead.
It is important to underline that those who launch the most xenophobic policies and messages against immigrants are actually those who are in control of the violence and the aggressiveness that are responsible for making thousands of people (mostly youngsters) refugees. Imperialism not only causes forced migrations and refugees, but it also causes, by repressive policies, the death and even murdering of thousands of people whose only “crime” was to search for better living conditions.
Let’s struggle against Imperialism, which is the only way to achieve lasting peace and the end of xenophobia and racism, but also the end of forced migrations.
World Federation of Democratic Youth
Challenge News Desk
