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

Prevoditelj: Sanda L Recezent: Ivan Stamenković

I am an immigrant from Uganda living in the United States

Ja sam imigrant iz Ugande koji živi u SAD-u

while waiting for my asylum application

čekajući da bude odobren

to go through.

moj zahtjev za azil.

Migrants do not enjoy much freedom of movement

Migranti nemaju puno slobode kretanja

in our world today.

u današnjem svijetu.

This certainly applies to those who are desperate enough

Ovo se svakako odnosi na one koji su dovoljno očajni

to navigate choppy and stormy seas in boats.

da brodom prelaze uzburkana i olujna mora.

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

To su rizici s kojima se suočavaju moji rođaci iz Zapadne i Sjeverne Afrike,

while trying to cross over to Europe.

pokušavajući prijeći u Europu.

Indeed, it is a rare but fortunate opportunity

Zaista, rijetka je ali sretna prilika

for a migrant to address a gathering like this.

za migranta da komentira ovakvo okupljanje.

But this also signifies what often is missing

Ali ovo također i pokazuje što često nedostaje

in the global debate over refugees,

u globalnoj debati o izbjeglicama,

migrants and immigrants,

migrantima i imigrantima,

voices of the disenfranchised.

glasovima obespravljenih.

Citizens of many host countries,

Građani mnogih zemalja domaćina,

even those that previously welcomed newcomers,

čak i oni koji su prije srdačno dočekali pridošlice,

are uneasy about the rising numbers of individuals

nesigurni su zbog rastućeg broja pojedinaca

coming into their countries.

koji dolaze u njihove države.

The immediate criticism is that the newcomers upend the stability

Neposredna kritika je da pridošlice narušavaju stabilnost

of social welfare and employment in their countries.

socijalne skrbi i zapošljavanja u njihovim zemljama.

Uncertain and skeptical citizens look towards politicians

Nesigurni i skeptični građani se oslanjaju na političare

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

koji se natječu jedni protiv drugih da vide tko može osvojiti nagradu

of the loudest voice of populism and nationalism.

za najglasniji glas populizma i nacionalizma.

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

Natjecanje je u tome tko je najstroži prema migrantima,

the most willing to impose travel bans

najspremniji nametnuti zabrane putovanja

and the most eager to propose projects in building walls.

i najželjniji predložiti projekt građenja zidova.

All these restrictions simply address symptoms of the problem,

Sve ove restrikcije bave se samo simptomima problema,

not the causes.

ne uzrocima.

Why are they coming?

Zašto oni dolaze?

Migrants can share perspectives,

Migranti mogu dijeliti svoj način gledanja

if only politicians would be willing to listen.

kad bi samo političari bili voljni slušati.

In Dubai, I chronicled injustices and inequalities inflicted regularly

U Dubaiju sam zabilježio nepravde i neravnopravnost redovito nanesene

on the migrant labor force.

migrantskoj radnoj snazi.

As a result, pressures from the governments

Kao rezultat, pritisci vlada

of the respective countries

dotičnih država

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

doveli su me do toga da sam protjeran iz svoje karijere novinara na Bliskom Istoku.

I was deported to Uganda,

Deportiran sam u Ugandu,

where economic deprivation puts everyone at the risk of starvation.

gdje ekonomska nestašica svakog stavlja na rizik umiranja od gladi.

I fled Uganda to come to the United States

Pobjegao sam iz Ugande da bi došao u SAD

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

u nadi da moj glas potpomogne mojim braćama i sestrama

who experience a more serious plight as migrants.

koji su kao migranti u još ozbiljnijoj situaciji.

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

Moj otac mi je rekao da nije sretan što pišem knjigu

that risked deportation and unemployment.

zbog koje riskiram deportaciju i nezaposlenost.

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

On je već dugo imao dijabetes još dok sam radio u Dubaiju

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

i moja plaća je uvijek bila dovoljna za plaćanje njegovog liječenja.

After I was expelled,

Nakon što sam bio istjeran,

I could not afford to sustain his treatment,

nisam više mogao plaćati održavanje njegovog liječenja,

and even in the last days of his life,

i čak i u zadnjim danima njegovog života

I could not afford to take him to a hospital.

nisam si mogao priuštiti da ga odvedem u bolnicu.

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

Dok sam svojim rukama nosio njegovo tijelo da ga položim u tlo

in June of last year,

u lipnju prošle godine,

I realized I had paid a profound price

shvatio sam da sam platio visoku cijenu

for amplifying my voice.

što sam digao svoj glas.

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

Čin suprotstavljanja protiv nepravde, koja je višeslojna, nikad nije lak,

because the problems require more than just rhetoric.

jer problemi zahtijevaju više nego samo govorništvo.

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

Sve dok su rudnici zlata, naftne bušotine i velike farme u Africi

u vlasništvu stranih investitora

by foreign investors

and those vital resources are shipped to the West,

i dok god se ti vitalni resursi šalju na Zapad,

the stream of African migrants will flow continuously.

rijeka afričkih migranata će stalno teći.

There are no restrictions that could ever be so rigorous

Nema tih ograničenja koja bi bila tako rigorozna

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

da zaustave val migracije koja je obilježila našu ljudsku povijest.

Before border controls can be tightened

Prije nego se postrože granične kontrole

and new visa restrictions imposed,

i nametnu nova ograničenja za vize,

countries that have long received migrants

države koje su dugo prihvaćale migrante

should engage in a more open discussion.

trebale bi se uključiti u otvoreniju raspravu.

That is the only practical start for reconciling, finally,

To je jedini praktični početak pomirenja, napokon,

a legacy of exploitation,

ostavštine iskorištavanja,

slavery,

ropstva,

colonialism

kolonijalizma

and imperialism,

i imperijalizma,

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

tako da zajedno možemo krenuti u stvaranje cjelovitije ekonomije

in the 21st century --

u 21. stoljeću --

one that benefits all.

jednu koja koristi svima.