Some time ago Europe underwent a change—for the worse—and the much-ballyhooed democratic and Western values have passed on slowly and surely to a better world.

The migratory crisis, which has become more acute in recent years, is forcing European institutions to show their true colors. We see less and less union in these institutions, and more of a conglomerate in which each country "makes war on its own."

Extreme rhetoric

Politics does not stand outside the migratory crisis, but rather makes electoral use of it, mobilizing xenophobic and racist discourses and pushing European policy towards the extreme right wing, closer to the preaching of Marine Le Pen than to the integrationist and union-oriented attitude which marked the origins of the EU.

The hate-filled political rhetoric in relation to migrants, which—with the connivance of the media—continuously associates them with terrorism or crimes such as sexual aggressions, robberies or violence, ends up filtering into the population, which in turn accepts drastic cut-backs in rights and liberties, not only for migrants but for everyone.

In the name of security and the protection of European and democratic values, European politics finds a perfect climate for quickly annulling rights and liberties which took many years of struggle to win.

Closing borders

The fact that the Schengen internal borderless space has been put in question is perhaps the most significant example of the relationship between racism, xenophobia and the repeal of rights and liberties. Several countries, especially since the worsening of the refugee crisis, have decided to make exceptions and re-establish internal borders.

Germany has applied this especially in its border with Austria, a measure which is a priori temporary but which will likely go on indefinitely. Austria has constructed a fence, like the one in Spain, on its border with Slovenia. France, impelled by the attacks in Paris, has imposed measures (in principle ‘exceptional’ ones) of control in airports and borders. Norway is following the French example, focusing specifically on its ports. The common factor is the use of fear in many of its forms.

Wave of new laws

But even as the borders move towards closure, European countries are losing no time in passing legislation based on racism, xenophobia and in many cases Islamophobia, attitudes that are being propagated by political rhetoric and which terrorist attacks have given wings.

This is how the European Union has reached the point in which it watches in silence as its member states pass laws such as the one recently approved by Denmark, which allows the state to confiscate money, jewelry and other objects of value from arriving refugees. The aim is to make Denmark less attractive and thereby reduce the number of refugees arriving there.

Hungary has also made its laws more rigid, demanding three years of prison for anyone found to be undocumented in the country, and up to five years for those who attempt to cross the border or damage any part of the 175 km wire fence that separates the country from Serbia.

Germany passed a law requiring that asylum seekers who are not granted refugee status—even if they receive assistance for humanitarian reasons—not be eligible to solicit family reunification for two years.

Spain has kept up with the others: after the Paris attacks it approved the Anti-Jihadi Pact, a document in the same spirit as the so-called “Gag Law” which has already been criticized by the UN (Special Rapporteurs warned that “it threatens to violate the fundamental rights and liberties of individuals”). Once more, in the name of security politicians seize the occasion to legislate in such a way that the rights of everyone—but especially certain groups—are cut back. As the Rapporteurs explained, the Anti-Jihadi Pact “might criminalize behaviors which do not constitute terrorism” or even lead to “disproportionate restrictions on the exercise of free speech.”

Passivity

These are just some of the examples of how racism and xenophobia, which have deepened in Europe as a result of the migratory crisis and terrorist attacks, are permitting hate-driven political rhetoric to flourish and become habitual in the public sphere.

Hiding behind the excuse of national security and claim to preserve democratic and Western values, rights and liberties are bit by bit being eroded in ways that would not otherwise be accepted. The citizenry responds with passivity when it should be responding to every cut-back in order to—at the very least—maintain and uphold its hard-won rights.

Moha Gerehou is an anti-racism activist and journalist working on human rights and immigration issues.