*** Futuribles. L’anticipation au service de l’action. Futuribles Sarl (47 rue de Babylone, F-75007 Paris. Tel: (33-1) 53633770 – fax: 42226554 – Email: revue@futuribles.com – Internet: http://www.futuribles.com ). July-August 2016, No. 413, 136 pp. €22 or annual subscription €115 €, ISBN 978-2-84387-426-3.
From the very beginning of his editorial in this issue of Futuribles Hughes de Jouvenel indicates that future studies seek to focus on developing, "a tool that assists decision-making and action" and also requires the perspective in which the future is also seen as both, "a territory to explore, as well as the territory in which to build". It is in this difficult context, which has existed for many long months", that Jean-François Drevet concentrates the thrust of his, "European Tribune" column. This former European civil servant identifies an unfolding, "disaster from the point of view of the right of asylum". This observation relates less to future perspectives than the lucid observation of the mistakes made by the EU 28 in the migration arena.
The author immediately refers to the agreement concluded on 18 March last with Turkey and this, "pact with the devil", which, according to Wolfgang Münchau in the Financial Times, saw Europe effectively selling its soul. How did we get the situation? Jean-François Drevet explains that this arises from, "deep-seated shortcomings that have existed for a long time". The Union has failed to effectively control its external borders because by attempting to comply with the Dublin system on the management of asylum seekers, "we have done it on the cheap, not only in the perspective of solidarity between EU member states but also on a level of basic efficiency". Subsequently, there is a situation in which states are "exposed unequally", with some of them just having to monitor airports in this perspective, whilst others have to control thousands of kilometres of maritime borders, which inevitably leads to an untenable situation of, "everyone for themselves". Migration policy cannot meet the challenges facing it. The Commission has on many occasions referred to the different demographic, economic and humanitarian arguments that justified the Union developing an effective migration policy, but governments have never ceased to oppose it on this level and the, "federalisation that would mean them sharing their sovereignty". Suddenly, the most restrictive attitudes in this perspective have become the rule and migration flows occur in areas where it is impossible to stop: family recruitment, immigrants remaining illegally on European territory, after the expiry of their visas, in addition to illegal immigrants. In this context, the German Chancellor decided to go ahead alone, which benefited Turkey and in its relations with the Union is not concerned with the, "pedestrian concerns of small countries or the possible objections from the Commission and the European Parliament". Subsequently, the Union finds itself in a position where it has to ask President Erdogan for assistance, who has therefore been able to re-manoeuvre his position on, "the deal involving the relaunch of accession negotiations" after having got rid of visas for Turkish citizens and demonstrating, "a new test of his ability to impose his points of view on the EU". This also involves another form of blackmail: if the Europeans do not give into these demands, the refugees will again be free to make their way to Greece… This results from an inability to remain firm with Ankara because there is the additional problem of the Union facing another crisis involving the Syrian immigrants. There will be many Turkish citizens opposed to the regime in Turkey, such as the Kurds, who will be tempted to remain in the Union after their three-month visas have expired. The most appropriate policy would involve the Commission being given a hearing when it proposes that refugees are resettled in the Union, "on the basis of quotas calculated on objective criteria". Nonetheless, is there really the will to develop a, "common policy when there are nothing but widespread misgivings?"
The main thrust of this issue is obviously, as it should be, focused on this future perspective. An insight is also provided by Guillaume Benoît on the future worsening of problems linked to water, given the increasing food demands and impact of climate change, even in Europe, which according to the writer means that this bestows this issue a major strategic dimension involving the question of relations changing on water/soil/agriculture and agri-ecological transition. There is also a main feature article on future perspectives and science fiction. (MT)
*** STAVROS LIGEROS: L'invasion des non-combattants. Editions Patakis (38 Panayi Tsaldari, GR-10437 Athens. Tel: (30-210) 3650000 – fax: 3811940 – Email: bookstore@patakis.gr – Internet: http://www.patakis.gr ). « Sciences sociales et politiques » series. 2016, 224 pp. €14.30. ISBN 978-960-16-6845-1.
This book focuses on the subject of refugees-immigrants who arrived in Greece and their impact on the country. It also includes a section on what Stavros Lygeros describes as "Islamic terrorism". Due to their religious and cultural identity, Muslim immigrants have not integrated much and they often seek to live in an oriental environment similar to the one they lived in in their countries of origin. This has led to the development of informal ghettos. For the author, an economist and acknowledged editorialist in the Greek newspaper “Kathimerini”, as well as being a political analysis for the public ERT channel and author of several books, this results in a human "dumping ground" in Greece, which has led to criminality and underpaid and undeclared work. He analyses the legal and political aspects of asylum, as well as the role played by "professional solidarity" and the rising antiracist voices that paradoxically assist the extreme right of Golden Dawn. In his eyes, the policy of, "open borders" and the invitation launched by Chancellor Merkel, led to the opening up of a Pandora's box in 2015. This effectively means that the European Union has been dragged into the groundswell of the policy promoted by the Hungarian Prime Minister, Mr Orban. Austria has been left with the dirty work of ensuring that the Balkan corridor is closed and that the European border is now located in the Aegean Sea and at Idomeni, in northern Greece. The author also sheds light on the role of Frontex, NATO and the NGOs, before dissecting the Euro-Turkish agreement and calculating the effect of Greece having to deal with tens of thousands of exhausted refugees and immigrants. In his conclusion, Stavros Ligeros, points out that these people do not simply constitute a humanitarian issue but another far more disagreeable fact, their presence has ramifications at the social level and even provokes issues relating to public security and that this situation is not simply going disappear… (AKa)
*** GEORGIA SPIROPOULOU, DIMITRIS CHRISTOPOULOS: Réussirons-nous ? Editions Papazisi (2 rue Nikitara, GR-10678 Athens. Tel: (30-210) 3822496 – fax: 3809020 email: papazisi@otenet.gr – Internet: http://www.papazisi.gr ). 2016, 118 pp. €8. ISBN 978-960-02-3223-3.
The refugee problem is a crisis within a crisis. This book is testimony to this fact in light of the examples that have occurred and reveal the scale of this constantly of evolving tragedyy. It was written by a number of university lecturers working at the Pantheon University in Athens (Dimitris Christopoulos is also vice president of the International Federation of Human Rights) and helps develop an understanding of the specific dimensions relating to this "refugee crisis" as experienced Greece as from spring 2015. The other authors focus on what is happening "on the ground" in an effort to assess the situation in terms of geographically critical factors involving the refugee flows from Turkey or those that seek other destinations in European Union countries. The main objectives of this essay are as follows: describing the actual situation from an administrative and legal point of view with regard to the refugees in Greece; proceeding to a political evaluation of the reasons that have fashioned and continue to fashion the responses provided to the refugee tragedy, in the context of the Greek crisis; providing an accurate assessment of the structural deficiencies involved in refugee management in Greece, with an emphasis on the European strategy and, finally, formulating suggestions so that Greece can manage this situation in as humane a way as possible. (AKa)
*** VASSILIOS TSEVRENIS (Editors): La crise de l'immigration et des réfugiés dans les îles de la mer Egée orientale. Les problèmes et les perspectives. Editions Andy’s Publishers (47 rue Solonos, GR-10672 Athens. Tel: (30-210) 3390232 – Email: info@andyspublishers.com – Internet: http://www.andyspublishers.com ) and the Fondation Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights (1) (1 rue Likabettus, GR-10672 Athens. Tel: (30-210) 3637455 – fax: 3622454 – Email: info@mfhr.gr – Internet, €12 ISBN 978-960-565-153-4.
This is the 91st volume published by the Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights and contains the extremely interesting report of a seminar organised by this foundation on 10 December last during the 67th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It contains an array of specialist analyses, NGO reports on the eastern Aegean Sea, proposals that seek to tackle existing problems in a more efficient way, in addition to suggestions regarding the imperative initiatives that the international institutions have to take. The book also gives a voice to the refugees in their testimonies and explain what they have actually experienced, the living conditions, points of view and ideas etc. (AKa)