Not long ago I was invited to dinner at a friend’s house. The subject of immigration came up. A man sitting opposite me became vocal about “how many more people will be allowed to come into the country.” I began to feel very uncomfortable.
I politely, but sarcastically, thanked him for letting me into “his” country. He seemed to find my comment funny. “Well, of course I don’t mean people like you!” he said. My uneasiness turned to resentment when it became clear his opinion was only directed at anyone who isn’t white.
I would like to say this was the only time I’ve come across this attitude, but that would be a lie. The Syrian refugee crisis has offered another occasion to disparage immigrants. You don’t have to look too far on social media to find posts about not letting “these” people into “our” country.
As a relatively recent arrival to Canada, I have some insight into the economic and social problems that you can come upon against transitioning to new country. But I’ve had it easy when compared to other minorities. That’s because I’m white and English is my first language. I’m also from another Western country so I’m viewed with less suspicion.
I made a trip last year to Marseille, France, the southern port city with the largest per capita Muslim population in Europe. I was appalled to see the open racism of some of the residents. The hotel owner where I stayed took no time in telling me how his local soccer team was being ruined by all the immigrants attending games, but he seemed to have no issue with taking their money. The racial tensions are clear in this part of France.
Many years ago I was working near Marseille with a view to moving to the city fulltime. The racism towards non-whites was shameless. Posters for the right-wing National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen could be seen in many of the small surrounding villages.
Today it’s his daughter Marine Le Pen that has taken up the anti-immigrant mantel even while trying to distance herself from the party’s neo-Nazi links of the past. She states her party is made up of patriots and not racists. She has been front and centre since the Paris terror attacks, seizing the opportunity to spread fear of Muslims by calling for a ban of Islamist organizations in France, removal of foreigners and closing of France’s borders to immigration. While being interviewed by the CBC a few days ago, she called Canada’s plan to welcome 25,000 Syrian refugees “madness.”
I’m not sure how this increasingly popular view fits in with the French Revolutionary motto of “liberty, equality and fraternity.” But unfortunately, extreme right-wing parties are becoming more widespread throughout Europe: UKIP in Britain, The NDP in Germany, The Danish Peoples Party in Denmark, and Law and Justice Party in Poland, which in this year’s election tallied more than 37 per cent of the popular vote.
France, Europe and the rest of the world have to deal with the Syrian refugee disaster. With more than 4 million displaced people, leaving them in camps in places like the Port of Calais in northern France is not the answer.
The people fleeing Syria, are also fleeing the same people who killed the innocent bystanders in the Paris terror attacks. These are not our enemies.
The contributions of refugees are not to be underestimated. Maryam Monsef who fled Afghanistan as a child and is now a cabinet minister in Justin Trudeau’s newly-formed government.
news@nowtoronto.com | @nowtoronto
