Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
April 15, 2022
On Wednesday morning, the UK Border Force vessel Searcher pulled into harbour at Dover, on Britain’s south coast, with its latest find, a group of more than 30 migrants seeking to settle in the UK. Earlier that day, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), a charity, had already rescued 55 others. It was a record day for Channel crossings this year, after a record month in March.
The next morning, the UK’s Home Secretary, Priti Patel, announced her proposed solution, the so-called “New Immigration Plan”, as she stepped off an airplane, to great bemusement back home, in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
Under Ms Patel’s plan, single male migrants, including asylum seekers, arriving in Britain illegally will be flown to Rwanda, where they will have their claims processed, but where they will also be encouraged to settle down for good. The £120 million ($157m) idea is fraught with problems. The opposition Labour Party has already begun to question the cost and practicality of the scheme, and humanitarian organisations have questioned its legality. Restricting the plan to single men raises its own questions – what makes the conditions in Rwanda safe for them, but not for families?
The timing of the plan is also suspicious – Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, is embroiled in scandal after being fined for attending an illegal birthday party while the country was under coronavirus restrictions. A wild plan to send migrants to Rwanda is certainly a convenient headline-grabber.
Restricting the plan to single men raises its own questions - what makes the conditions in Rwanda safe for them, but not for families?
But a humanitarian agenda has not been part of the British government’s attitudes to immigration for many years. Another brainchild of Ms Patel’s, the Nationality and Borders Bill, would see any migrants who knowingly enter Britain illegally charged with a criminal offence. Ms Patel argues that refugees who want to avoid being criminals (or being sent to Rwanda) they must stick to Britain’s “safe and legal routes”.
The problem is that such legal routes are largely unavailable. Britain offers no formal way to apply for humanitarian visas. Even one-off schemes, such as a plan announced last year to resettle Afghans fleeing the Taliban, cannot manage to get off the ground. While many of those arriving by sea are deported, someare allowed to stay because their grounds for asylum are reasonable. Seeking Britain’s protection may be a right under international law, particularly as the UK is signatory to the 1951 refugee convention, but for most people the only way to get it is to break British law.
It is not easy to deal with the waves of migrants heading to Britain’s shores. But the government’s long-time deterrence-based strategy, to create a “hostile environment” that aims to make life as difficult for non-permanent migrants as the law allows, has not worked. Last year, Channel crossings reached record numbers.
There is little reason to think that the prospect of being sent to Rwanda will make a difference either. If anything, it may worsen the human trafficking Ms Patel claims her plan will fight, by incentivising single men to bring women and children with them.
In truth, there is no quick fix to Britain’s migrant crisis. The best solution is to navigate it for now, by managing it compassionately in co-operation with other European countries (notably France, where Channel crossings begin), to work with UNHCR on legal resettlement plans and to invest, over time, in stabilising the places refugees flee. Countries in the developing world that bear most of the global refugee burden, such as Turkey, Pakistan and Iran, need earnest support to make conditions liveable for those who are there.
To get to a place where such solutions are possible, politics must mature to the point where countries like Britain stop viewing their refugee woes as one-off crises, criminal threats or the domain of charity. The refugee problem, like climate change, is a global challenge. Solving it requires a sense of collective responsibility.
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
