What is meant by deterrence? “Deterrence” is the attempt by destination countries to discourage migrants from leaving. It has now been proven that it doesn’t work: it doesn’t stop migration, nor does it lead to a reduction in the numbers of people who decide to undertake the journey, yet in 2024 European governments will continue on this path with even more determination. The United States also has the same orientation: it has not always been like this, but this symbolic and material construction of borders is the only path tested at different levels by Western governments, who have never adopted alternatives, with some sporadic exceptions. For example, the window that opened in Europe for Ukrainian refugees in 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, or the virtuous models experimented by Canada and Colombia.
The immediate consequence of policies based on deterrence is the increase in the number of deaths at the borders: from the Mediterranean to the desert between Mexico and the United States. But also the increase in human rights violations in refugee camps at the border, in transit countries and in countries of origin. These are phenomena that have been going on for years, but 2024 will be an election campaign year in Europe and the United States, so these aspects will be even more exasperated. In fact, since the end of the nineties, migration has become an instrument of political pressure and a theme of electoral campaigns, with the exploitation and exaggerations that follow… the highest price is always paid by the people.
