Building walls to keep out immigrants helps terrorists
In this CNN commentary (“Building walls to keep out immigrants helps terrorists,” Ben Emmerson and Jessica Jones make the argument that efforts to take extreme immigration measures, as advocated by Donald Trump and some leaders in Europe, will undermine national security:
“While the intention might be to protect those already within our borders, the truth is that restricting access to safe territory for those outside it encourages covert movements of people, including by traffickers, which makes borders more, not less, porous.
The establishment of clandestine routes across international borders and the criminalization of individuals legitimately seeking access to safe countries may ultimately assist terrorists who exploit chaos and vulnerability in equal measure.
For those who make it to our borders, the fear-mongering engaged in by Trump and others leads to discrimination, social exclusion and the marginalization of communities, which have been recognized by international bodies as conditions conducive to terrorism.
Respect for the humanitarian needs and human rights of migrants is not distinct from counterterrorism objectives; it is central to them. The hard-line approach will backfire.
It is time to be clear: It is not in our interest to flout international law and restrict refugees’ routes of escape or the assistance we provide them. To protect ourselves, we must face up to and fulfill our obligations to the millions of displaced people struggling to re-establish their lives.
Every citizen must recognize their own responsibility for upholding and promoting the values that form the fabric of our society. A series of clear choices must be made over the next weeks and months, and the very future of our democracies may depend on them. The baton is in our hands.”
Ben Emmerson is the UN special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights and an international lawyer, and he specializes in European human rights law and international criminal law. Jessica Jones is a human rights barrister specializing in international and criminal justice work and legal adviser to the UN special rapporteur. The opinions expressed in this commentary are theirs.
KJ
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