Migration and local economies: Actions to move forward

The Region of North Aegean was the first to look for international support. It addressed the European Commission and put pressure on it for urgent actions with success. A loan was submitted for a refugees’ shelter (both for adults and unaccompanied children).  Political actions –in the framework of CRPM- were initiated, to put pressure on national governments; at the same time experiences and ideas were exchanged with regions from all over Europe.

After the new EU-Turkey Agreement, the flows have been decreased but no one knows how long the calm will last, especially in the light of the last developments in Turkey. We are now entering a new era: the stay of the refugees is becoming permanent as the majority of them will remain in Greece for a long period of time. In a region remote and insular and with its economy severely hit by the economic crisis and the large numbers of refugees, the question is how the integration of these people will be achieved and mainly their absorption in the labour market when unemployment in Greece is fixed at rates over 20%. 

Is it possible to attract investors in the framework of the European Commission’s new philosophy and new financial tools; in an environment of constant pressure created by the immigration crisis and unstable agreement with Turkey? How can eventually the devastated local economy be mend?

Unfortunately even now, despite the absolute priority given to the immigration issue by both the European Commission and the Member States, it has not yet been included as a separate priority in any strategy; you can’t find it for example in the criteria for selecting projects in the famous Juncker Plan, or in the priorities of the European Investment Bank.

So far though, despite the fact that the funds available for migration are constantly increasing, they only address direct issues of hospitality, accommodation or first inclusion actions. This is extremely useful but its only part of the solution.

The solution of the refugees’ crisis is bounded with the economic development of Europe. But local economies especially in Southern Europe suffer after 6 years of recession. People are tired and frustrated. Rise of extremism and nationalism becomes a natural result. In this environment progressive solutions that integrate immigrants into the social and economic life are sentenced to fail. Europe needs a holistic plan to overcome the crisis, to see this over one million of refugees as an opportunity and to create a new narrative that will support economic growth and further European integration. But we need to see beyond the Treaties and the directives, to imagine Europe after the end of the economic crisis.

The humanitarian aspect and European values are now under threat: some want to believe that the refugee crisis can be addressed with fences and walls. They believe that people who fled from the fire of the war, who lost their relatives and children in the sea, who walked through Turkey, can be stopped by a fence. They are having illusions. We are facing one of the biggest post-war challenges, a challenge that is purely political.  The goal is not to find a way just to limit the flows. The aim should be to face the problems without betraying our European values, without breaking our neighbourhood relations and cooperation that we built the past decades. We should fight to regain our future together.

*Nikos Kostopoulos was Executive Secretary of the North Aegean Region and advisor at the Ministries of Education and Internal Affairs. Now, he serves as advisor for international affairs of North Aegean Region and is Secretary for Scientific Organizations at Nea Dimokratia political party.

**The article is an adaption of Mr. Kostopoulos’ speech at the European Business Summit in Brussels, June 2, 2016.