Border Storm

Published in FAZ
(Germany) on 26 November 2018
by Andreas Ross (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Holly Bickerton. Edited by Arielle Eirienne.
The incident at the border between Mexico and the U.S. shows how wrong it is to keep migrants in the dark about their prospects for weeks on end. There is good reason why accurate information is one of the objectives in the U.N. migration compact.

At America's southern border, what Donald Trump has always wanted to avoid – or should that be what he has always wanted? – has now happened. The president got footage in Tijuana to support his claim that a caravan of thousands of migrants from Central America was a horde of invaders. Although "invaders" presumably would not have chosen one of the most well-guarded parts of the border to invade the United States.

The incident shows how wrong it is to keep migrants in the dark about their prospects for weeks on end. The mayor of Tijuana made it clear to the stranded people they were not welcome. Meanwhile, Mexico's future president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, apparently agreed with Trump that from now on migrants would be allowed to wait in Mexico for their American asylum claims to be heard, including for work permits. But there were only rumors about this.

That is why even families gave credence to a few ringleaders who caused a futile storming of the border. There is a good reason why one of the 23 objectives of the U.N. migration compact is to "provide accurate and timely information at all stages of migration."



Sturm auf die Grenze
Der Vorfall an der mexikanisch-amerikanischen Grenze zeigt, wie falsch es ist, Migranten wochenlang im Unklaren über ihre Aussichten zu lassen. Korrekte Informationen sind mit guten Grund ein Ziel im UN-Migrationspakt.
Nun trat an Amerikas Südgrenze ein, was Donald Trump immer vermeiden wollte – oder muss man sagen: was er immer wollte? Für seine Behauptung, ein Zug Tausender Migranten aus Zentralamerika sei eine Horde von Invasoren, hat der Präsident in Tijuana Belegbilder bekommen. Bloß hätten sich „Invasoren“ wohl kaum einen der bestgesicherten Grenzabschnitte ausgesucht, um in die Vereinigten Staaten einzufallen.
Der Vorfall zeigt, wie falsch es ist, Migranten wochenlang im Unklaren über ihre Aussichten zu lassen. Tijuanas Bürgermeister machte den Gestrandeten klar, sie seien nicht willkommen. Derweil vereinbarte Mexikos künftiger Präsident López Obrador offenbar mit Trump, dass Migranten fortan in Mexiko ihre amerikanische Asylprüfung abwarten dürfen, Arbeitserlaubnis inklusive. Doch darüber gab es nur Gerüchte.
Deshalb schenkten selbst Familien ein paar Rädelsführern Glauben, die zum aussichtslosen Sturm auf die Grenze bliesen. Mit gutem Grund lautet eines der 23 Ziele im UN-Migrationspakt: „Bereitstellung korrekter und zeitnaher Informationen in allen Phasen der Migration“.
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