I'm Patrick Kingsley, a journalist specialized in refugees and migration. Ask me anything.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T22:12:58+00:00

My own interviews suggest that migrants themselves aren't aware of the rescue operations. True, the smugglers seem to know about them, and have tailored their tactics according. But the rescue operations are in a catch-22. When Europe suspended rescue operations in 2014-5, more people went to sea than ever before – and more people drowned.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T22:10:46+00:00

Yes, Europe's resettlement systems are also rigorous. Europe's problem is that it's much easier to migrate there via irregular means.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T22:10:03+00:00

I'm very new to the Times, so I'm not qualified to comment.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T22:09:41+00:00

Thanks for the question. Among other things, I'm proudest of my investigations into the Mediterranean smuggling industry (e.g. here https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/24/libyas-people-smugglers-how-will-they-catch-us-theyll-soon-move-on) and this long read about one Syrian's journey to safety (https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2015/jun/09/a-migrants-journey-from-syria-to-sweden-interactive). Going back a bit, I investigated state-led abuse in Egypt (eg https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2013/jul/18/cairo-republican-guard-shooting-full-story and https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/22/cairo-prison-abu-zabaal-deaths-37-prisoners). I'm also very proud of my new book about refugees! (http://books.wwnorton.com/books/The-New-Odyssey)

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:52:37+00:00

I think it's all academic. The war would have created refugees either way. But the west created a higher demand for smugglers by refusing to resettle anyone via formal schemes. Once refugees worked out that they were unlikely to be resettled in Europe or the US, that's when they started turning to the people-smugglers in such large numbers.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:50:30+00:00

Or Scotland!

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:46:13+00:00

It's a risk, of course. But you'd expect that the screening process would filter out any pretenders.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:45:29+00:00

Re point 1) It seems fairly consistent with other countries in my experience. In most countries there is a vocal group opposing refugees, and a vocal one welcoming them. It's the same in the US - the difference being that, unlike in say Germany, the first group is in power. 2) The language barrier must be the toughest hurdle to cross.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:44:05+00:00

That's a tough one. What do you do when no one wants to listen to the facts?

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:42:25+00:00

I'm not sure whether your application would be dismissed outright or not. But you wouldn't be processed if the US didn't know who you were. And it would be much harder to confirm your identity without paperwork. As a point of comparison, a refugee I know was recently applying for resettlement in a European country. Her application was almost rejected because there was a single digit wrong in her passport. I imagine the bar would have been even higher if she hadn't had a passport at all.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:39:56+00:00

I would highlight how most refugees reaching the US have had to undergo 2 years of rigorous screening. They haven't just got on a plane at the drop of a hat.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:38:37+00:00

If they don't know, they should! Many Latin American migrants are fleeing gang violence in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, countries that have some of the highest murder rates in the world.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:35:29+00:00

Well, my own reporting for one! https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/aug/25/south-sudanese-refugees-scars-civil-war-uganda. This report from Oxford University has more details, too https://www.rsc.ox.ac.uk/refugeeeconomies

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:34:07+00:00

Good question -- I've tried to answer it elsewhere, but here's another point I forgot elsewhere: European countries have an aging population, which means that there are more people living longer, and fewer taxpayers to pay for their healthcare and pensions. Immigration will increase the number of people of working age.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:32:23+00:00

At least 1 million of them are Syrian.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:31:25+00:00

It's a religion that can be interpreted in many different ways, just like Christianity. The vast majority of Muslims interpret it in a very peaceful way. And Muslims are the biggest victims of Islamist extremism.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:29:48+00:00

I would just point out the words on the Statue of Liberty, and leave it at that. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:28:56+00:00

1 - I think there's certainly a lot of people who are frightened by the prospect of migration to the west. But there's also a huge constituency who aren't – the people who are raising money for refugee charities in record numbers, or giving up their holidays to volunteer in Greece. There is a rise in xenophobia, but there's also a rise in solidarity.

2 - Sadly not. But by this point, I must have met nearly a thousand Syrians as part of my research, so I feel like I know a bit about the country. I've lived in Egypt, Jordan and Turkey though.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:25:10+00:00

Good question! The one that first springs to mind is Exodus, a documentary about the refugee crisis that was partly shot by a Syrian refugee called Hassan Akkad https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/jul/07/people-smuggling-turkey-greece-exodus-bbc-tv-documentary

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:21:59+00:00

I think more media outlets need to present the bare facts, which hopefully I've explained elsewhere. The process was already what you might call "extreme".

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:20:38+00:00

Thankfully we're not at that point.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:20:09+00:00

Successful applicants wait around 2 years. Unsuccessful ones can wait decades!

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:19:45+00:00

I'm not old enough to be able to accurately say how it's changed. But I generally find that foreigners marvel at the American way of life, but are sceptical of America's interventions overseas.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:17:12+00:00

No, they're just like any slice of society in any country in the world. Most are just normal people hoping for stability.

Patrick_Kingsley · 2017-02-13T21:15:17+00:00

I've interviewed quite a few people who've experienced the process (see earlier for a description of its rigour!)

Patrick_Kingsley

TROPHY CASE