[Interview] ‘Not everyone wants to come to Europe’, says IOM researcher warning against migration panic

“We should under no circumstances speak about migration as an ‘invasion’,” Pablo Rojas Coppari, a researcher at the International Organisation for Migration, warns.

In this interview, he discusses the situation in Ceuta, public perceptions of migration, and why, in his view, Europe will one day face the consequences of closing its borders.

What did the recent border crossing in Ceuta reveal about European border management?

I do not want to speculate. When discussing the events in Ceuta, we must recognise that many things are still unclear. But we can link migration in Ceuta to the way we understand migration on both a global and European scale.

What we know clearly is that there was a problem with border management. States have the right to protect their borders and uphold their sovereignty. Due to its location, Ceuta is specific in that managing it requires cooperation within the European Union as well as with partner countries.

One of the key findings is that disinformation played a major role in the situation in Ceuta, people who migrated to Ceuta did so because they had largely been influenced by disinformation. It is now one of the greatest threats to migration management.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) supports regular and managed migration. We are convinced that if migration is properly arranged and regular migration pathways function, everyone can benefit from it, both the country of destination and the country of origin.

A major threat is the fact that these migration pathways are narrowing. Where they still exist, political actors and disinformation play a major role. A large proportion of the people who crossed the border in Ceuta did so because they had incorrect information about what awaited them on the other side.

You mentioned the role of politicians and the media in spreading false information. How does this rhetoric influence public opinion about border crossings?

I think there is a general concern across society about illegal border crossings. That is understandable. But I do not think it is primarily a political issue. Rather, people want to have confidence in their government, and equally they want to have confidence in their borders.

We should view this phenomenon clearly and rationally. It is also important to remember that those who suffer most when borders are crossed are the migrants themselves. They find themselves in highly vulnerable situations.

We should under no circumstances speak about migration as an 'invasion'. It is rather a failure in managing the migration process. When these processes are better regulated, everyone benefits.

Just as disinformation played a role before the events in Ceuta, it is playing a role now too. It is difficult to understand the entire event without having all the information. We should instead view it as a management problem.

Alena Lavrenčíková is an external contributor to Deník N. She studies Journalism and Media Studies at Masaryk University in Brno. She is interested in climate change, social issues, and culture.