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Transcript/ScriptFOR USAGM SHARE
((PLAYBOOK SLUG: UKR 1YR: EU MIGRANTS
HEADLINE: As Europe Welcomes Ukrainians, Other Newcomers Complain of Discrimination
TEASER: Surging numbers of asylum seekers are straining EU capacity and prompting tougher measures on illegal migration
PUBLISHED: 2/06/2023 8:10AM
BYLINE: Lisa Bryant
DATELINE: PARIS
VIDEO EDITOR:
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: Bowman, MAS
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA ORIGINAL, AFP
PLATFORMS: WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:59
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: THIS STORY IS PART OF UKRAINE ANNIVERSARY COVERAGE))
((INTRO)) The European Union has opened its doors to millions of Ukrainian refugees since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — even as member states tighten restrictions against economic migrants and asylum seekers from elsewhere. That includes France, which unveiled new immigration legislation last week. For VOA, Lisa Bryant reports from the Paris suburb of Evry Courcouronnes.
((NARRATION))
Protesting for working papers in France on a cold afternoon.
Aboubacar Dembele, from war-torn Mali, crossed the Mediterranean to Europe on a rickety boat in 2018 to find work.
((Aboubacar Dembele, Migrant from Mali)) ((MALE IN FRENCH))
“There were 72 of us in that boat. And it was either death or liberty. Some come here because of the war. Some because of the economy.”
Today, he and others here want authorities to give them legal papers after years of living and working in the shadows.
The kinds of papers Ukrainian refugees get on arrival in France. While many here did not flee war, there’s a sense of resentment against preferential treatment for Ukrainians who fled war.
((Aboubacar Dembele, Migrant from Mali)) ((MALE IN FRENCH))
“I have nothing against the Ukrainians…we Malians know about war. They have the right to be welcomed and sheltered. But the state is being hypocritical in claiming there’s no room to welcome those fleeing misery around the world. It’s not about space, it’s about racism.”
The European Union’s millions of Ukrainian war refugees get working papers, housing and social services.
Their influx is straining services in Europe, leaving non-Ukrainian asylum seekers sometimes scrambling for shelter in countries like the Netherlands and in France, where some live in tent-camps around Paris.
[[Radio track: Pauline Veron is a policy officer with the European Centre for Development Policy Management.]]
((Pauline Veron, European Centre for Development Policy Management)) ((Mandatory Skype))
“We’ve seen incredible solidarity toward Ukrainian refugees since last year. Which contrasts a bit with the increasingly restrictive policies towards other refugees arriving in Europe.”
The EU saw more than a million non-Ukrainian migrants and asylum seekers arrive in 2022—one of the biggest upticks in recent years. The bloc is considering new ways to send some back.
[[Radio Track: European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.]]
((Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs))
“We have three times more asylum applications than irregular arrivals. And these are overloading the reception capacities. And many of those are not in need of international protection."
More countries are building barriers — like during Europe’s 2015 migrant crisis.
Right-wing parties in Italy and elsewhere want tougher policies to curb migration.
Here in France, a new immigration bill would boost deportations and achieve what the centrist government calls “balanced” migration that includes legalizing some undocumented workers in sectors with labor shortages. That could be good news for these West African migrants — who are getting help applying for legal status in France
and bring some of today’s protesters in from the cold.
((Lisa Bryant, for VOA News, Evry Courcouronnes, France))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Evry Courcouronnes, Paris
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
