What's missing in the global debate over refugees | Yasin Kakande

Translator: Marinus Opperman Reviewer: Ingrid Lezar

I am an immigrant from Uganda living in the United States

Ek is ’n immigrant van Uganda. Ek woon in die VSA

while waiting for my asylum application

terwyl ek wag vir my asielaansoek

to go through.

om deur te gaan.

Migrants do not enjoy much freedom of movement

Migrante geniet nie veel vryheid van beweging

in our world today.

in vandag se wêreld nie.

This certainly applies to those who are desperate enough

Dis beslis van toepassing op diegene wat desperaat genoeg is

to navigate choppy and stormy seas in boats.

om wilde en stormagtige seetoestande in bote aan te pak.

These are the risks my cousins from West Africa and North Africa face

Dít is die gevare wat my medeburgers uit Wes- en Noord-Afrika trotseer

while trying to cross over to Europe.

wanneer hulle probeer oorgaan na Europa toe.

Indeed, it is a rare but fortunate opportunity

Inderdaad is dit ’n seldsame, maar gelukkige geleentheid

for a migrant to address a gathering like this.

vir ’n migrant om ’n samekoms soos hierdie toe te spreek.

But this also signifies what often is missing

Dit openbaar egter ook wat gereeld ontbreek

in the global debate over refugees,

in die wêreldwye debat oor vlugtelinge,

migrants and immigrants,

migrante en immigrante:

voices of the disenfranchised.

die stemme van die benadeeldes.

Citizens of many host countries,

Burgers van vele gasheerlande,

even those that previously welcomed newcomers,

selfs dié wat voorheen nuwe aankomelinge verwelkom het,

are uneasy about the rising numbers of individuals

is ongemaklik met die toename in die getalle mense

coming into their countries.

wat in hulle lande inkom.

The immediate criticism is that the newcomers upend the stability

Die onmiddellike kritiek is dat die nuwelinge die stabiliteit

of social welfare and employment in their countries.

van maatskaplike welsyn en werksgeleenthede in die lande ontwrig.

Uncertain and skeptical citizens look towards politicians

Onsekere en skeptiese burgers soek antwoorde by politici

who are competing against each other to see who can claim the prize

wat teen mekaar meeding om te sien wie die prys kan kry

of the loudest voice of populism and nationalism.

vir die hardste populistiese en nasionalistiese stem.

It is a contest of who is the toughest on migrants,

Dis ’n wedstryd om wie die mees onversetlike houding teenoor migrante het,

the most willing to impose travel bans

die gewilligste is om ’n reisverbod in te stel

and the most eager to propose projects in building walls.

en die ywerigste is om muurbouprojekte voor te stel.

All these restrictions simply address symptoms of the problem,

Al hierdie beperkings spreek bloot die simptome van die probleem aan,

not the causes.

nie die oorsake nie.

Why are they coming?

Hoekom is hulle besig om te kom?

Migrants can share perspectives,

Migrante kan perspektiewe deel,

if only politicians would be willing to listen.

as die politici maar net gewillig sou wees om te luister.

In Dubai, I chronicled injustices and inequalities inflicted regularly

In Dubai het ek die ongeregtigede en ongelykhede gedokumenteer

waaraan die migrante werkers gedurig uitgelewer is.

on the migrant labor force.

As a result, pressures from the governments

Vanweë druk van die regerings

of the respective countries

van die betrokke lande

led to me being forced out of my career as a journalist in the Middle East.

is ek uit my beroep as joernalis in die Midde-Ooste gedwing.

I was deported to Uganda,

Ek is na Uganda gedeporteer,

where economic deprivation puts everyone at the risk of starvation.

waar ekonomiese ontbering almal aan die risiko van hongersnood blootstel.

I fled Uganda to come to the United States

Ek het Uganda ontvlug en na die VSA toe gekom

in the hope of sustaining a voice for my brothers and sisters

met die hoop om my broers en susters se stemme krag te gee,

who experience a more serious plight as migrants.

vir die wat as migrante aan ’n baie erger lot uitgelewer is.

My father told me he was not happy about me writing a book

My pa het my gesê hy is nie gelukkig dat ek ’n boek skryf

that risked deportation and unemployment.

wat deportasie en werkloosheid kon veroorsaak nie.

He had been diabetic for many years when I still worked in Dubai,

Hy was al vir etlike jare ’n diabeet, terwyl ek nog in Dubai gewerk het,

and my salary was always sufficient to pay for his treatments.

en my salaris was altyd voldoende om sy behandelings te dek.

After I was expelled,

Na ek uitgesit is,

I could not afford to sustain his treatment,

kon ek nie bekostig om steeds sy behandeling te betaal nie

and even in the last days of his life,

en in die laaste dae van sy lewe

I could not afford to take him to a hospital.

kon ek nie eens bekostig om hom hospitaal toe te neem nie.

As I carried his body in my hands to lay it in the ground

Toe ek sy liggaam in my arms gedra het hom om te begrawe,

in June of last year,

laas jaar Junie,

I realized I had paid a profound price

het ek besef dat ek ’n geweldige prys betaal het

for amplifying my voice.

om my stem sterker uit te dra.

The act of speaking up against injustices that are multilayered is never easy,

Om jou te verset teen ongeregtighede met veelvoudige lae is nooit maklik nie,

because the problems require more than just rhetoric.

want die probleme vereis meer as blote retoriek.

So long as gold mines, oilfields and large farms in Africa continue to be owned

Terwyl goudmyne, olievelde en groot plase in Afrika

steeds deur buitelandse beleggers besit word

by foreign investors

and those vital resources are shipped to the West,

en al daai belangrike hulpbronne na die Weste uitgevoer word,

the stream of African migrants will flow continuously.

sal die stroom migrante uit Afrika aanhou om te vloei.

There are no restrictions that could ever be so rigorous

Daar is geen beperking wat so streng is,

to stop the wave of migration that has determined our human history.

dat dit die migrasie kan stop wat die geskiedenis van die mens bepaal het nie.

Before border controls can be tightened

Voor grensbeheer versterk kan word

and new visa restrictions imposed,

en nuwe visumbeperkings ingestel kan word,

countries that have long received migrants

moet lande wat jare lank al migrante ontvang

should engage in a more open discussion.

deelneem in oper gesprekke.

That is the only practical start for reconciling, finally,

Dis die enigste praktiese begin vir die uiteindelike versoening van

a legacy of exploitation,

’n nalatenskap van uitbuiting,

slavery,

slawerny,

colonialism

kolonialisme

and imperialism,

en imperialisme,

so that together, we can move forward in creating a more just global economy

sodat ons saam vorentoe kan beweeg om ’n meer regverdige wêreldekonomie te skep

in the 21st century --

in die 21ste eeu --

one that benefits all.

een waarby almal kan baat.