Militarising the US-Mexican border

In Blog by Philippe LegrainLeave a Comment

Plus: the value of asylum seekers; Brexit; after Merkel   As so often with Donald Trump, the move is both for show and at the same time deadly serious. Sending up to 15,000 US troops to defend the border with Mexico against an unarmed “caravan” of Central Americans fleeing violence to seek refuge in America is primarily a way of rallying the Republican base for today’s crucial midterm elections. The images …

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OPEN briefing: migrants’ right to vote, Brexit blunders, good news on refugees

In Blog by Philippe LegrainLeave a Comment

Nativists are in the ascendant in many countries right now. Governments are responding by curtailing migrants’ rights. And whether it is Brexit Britain or Trump’s America, immigrants are often powerless to fight back. That needs to change. Giving long-term foreign residents the right to vote isn’t just a matter of human rights, it’s about bringing democracy into the 21st century, argues Iana Dreyer in a must-read new piece for OPEN. Electing the people who …

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Who said populism had peaked? Plus Global Compact, steel tariffs & more

In Blog by Philippe LegrainLeave a Comment

Following the Brexit vote and Trump’s victory in 2016, many feared that a populist wave would sweep through Europe. But with the decisive victory of Emmanuel Macron over Marine Le Pen in France’s presidential election last year, anxiety quickly morphed into complacency. Yet France came perilously close to a presidential run-off between far-right and far-left anti-EU populists. Austria’s election was won by a conservative party that has adopted much of …

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Weekly report featuring Dayton, Jersey, Italy and refugees

In Blog by Philippe LegrainLeave a Comment

  America’s Rust Belt. Old industrial towns in the north of England. France’s northern Hauts de France region. Eastern Germany. The places that have suffered from industrial decline in recent decades often focus their anger on immigrants. But what if newcomers could actually help regenerate such areas? After its economy suffered and its population slumped, the city of Dayton, Ohio has put that theory to the test. Its innovative “Welcome …

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Highlights of 2017, Prospects for 2018

In Blog by Philippe LegrainLeave a Comment

The “highlights” of 2017 are mostly lowlights.  The year began with the inauguration of a racist US president who pledged to build a border wall to keep out Mexican “killers and rapists”, ban Muslims from entering America and tear up the liberal international order in favour of an America First strategy of nationalism, protectionism and xenophobia. While many of Trump’s actions have been symbolic, his clampdown on refugees and immigrants is very real.  2017 was …

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Europe’s many crises haven’t gone away

In Blog by Philippe LegrainLeave a Comment

Europe’s refugee crisis hasn’t gone away. While the grubby deal between the EU and Turkey has staunched inflows to Greece, many refugees are trapped there and various walls and barriers block the Balkan route, record numbers of people are taking the longer and more dangerous crossing from lawless Libya to Italy. More than 2,000 people have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea so far this year, according to the IOM. …

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