UCLA Department of Anthropology Visiting Graduate Student Researcher Ahlam Chemali publishes Op-Ed in LA Times on Migration Policies in Europe and the United States

Ahlam Chemali, a Visiting Graduate Student Researcher for UCLA’s Department of Anthropology, recently published her Op-Ed in LA Times, titled “How the U.S. is repeating Europe’s failed migration policies”.

An excerpt of the article is as follows:

“In early May, standing at the border fence between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, I was reminded of the Mediterranean Sea, Europe’s “natural border.” I met young Haitians and people from other countries fleeing political instability and violence — their wearied faces and stories of perilous journeys through multiple countries tragically echoed the many migrants I’ve met in North Africa. And now the next phase of U.S. migration policy seems doomed to also follow Europe’s failed approach.

In an effort to curb crowds crossing into the United States, the Biden administration announced last month it will set up regional processing centers in Latin America where migrants can apply for asylum. “International partners,” such as the United Nations refugee agency, will screen migrants, while Canada and Spain said they would accept referrals from these centers. This program will effectively restrict U.S. asylum.

As a scholar researching European migration policies, I find the outsourcing and relocation of immigration operations outside a country’s borders all too familiar. For more than three decades, the European Union and its member states have tried to externalize asylum and migration management to nations outside Europe. But Europe’s externalization policies haven’t worked. They have proved ineffective, extremely expensive and undermined the very foundations of international law.”

Their full article is published on the LA Times.