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

翻译人员: Yan Gao 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

I am an immigrant from Uganda living in the United States

我是住在美国的乌干达移民，

正在等待

while waiting for my asylum application

我的庇护申请获得通过。

to go through.

Migrants do not enjoy much freedom of movement

在我们今天的世界里，

移民没有多少行动自由。

in our world today.

This certainly applies to those who are desperate enough

这当然包括那些

绝望到要坐船穿过汹涌大海的人。

to navigate choppy and stormy seas in boats.

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

我在西非和北非兄弟们 试图跨海去往欧洲时，

就要面对这样的危险。

while trying to cross over to Europe.

Indeed, it is a rare but fortunate opportunity

确实，让一个移民在这种场合发言，

for a migrant to address a gathering like this.

是稀有而幸运的机会。

But this also signifies what often is missing

但这也暴露了

在关于难民 和移民迁徙的全球辩论中，

in the global debate over refugees,

我们常常漏掉的——

migrants and immigrants,

被剥夺权利者的声音。

voices of the disenfranchised.

Citizens of many host countries,

很多接收国的公民，

even those that previously welcomed newcomers,

甚至之前欢迎新移民的那些国家，

are uneasy about the rising numbers of individuals

对来到他们国家的人不断增多

coming into their countries.

感到不安。

The immediate criticism is that the newcomers upend the stability

直接的批评是， 新来的人影响了，

本国的社会福利和就业稳定性。

of social welfare and employment in their countries.

Uncertain and skeptical citizens look towards politicians

不安和疑虑的人们 指望政界人士解决，

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

政客们相互比赛，看谁能获得

民粹主义和民族主义的最响声音。

of the loudest voice of populism and nationalism.

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

这场比赛要看谁对移民最狠心、

the most willing to impose travel bans

谁最想实施旅游禁令，

and the most eager to propose projects in building walls.

和谁最着急提出筑墙规划。

All these restrictions simply address symptoms of the problem,

所有这些限制 仅仅解决问题的表症，

not the causes.

而没有指出根本原因。

Why are they coming?

他们为什么要来？

Migrants can share perspectives,

只有政界人士愿意倾听，

if only politicians would be willing to listen.

移民才能分享自己的观点。

In Dubai, I chronicled injustices and inequalities inflicted regularly

在迪拜，我记录了移民劳工

经常遭受的不公正和不平等。

on the migrant labor force.

As a result, pressures from the governments

结果，来自各国政府的压力

of the respective countries

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

导致我被迫失去了

在中东的记者工作。

I was deported to Uganda,

我被驱逐到乌干达，

where economic deprivation puts everyone at the risk of starvation.

那里的经济匮乏让每个人 都面临着被饿死的危险。

I fled Uganda to come to the United States

我逃离乌干达，来到美国，

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

希望能为那些兄弟姐妹发声，

who experience a more serious plight as migrants.

他们在经历更严重的移民困境。

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

我父亲告诉我， 他对我写书这事不满意，

that risked deportation and unemployment.

我写这书在冒着 被驱逐和失业的风险。

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

我在迪拜工作时， 他已经患糖尿病多年，

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

我的薪水一直足够 支付他的治疗费用。

After I was expelled,

在我被驱逐之后，

I could not afford to sustain his treatment,

我无法再负担他的治疗，

and even in the last days of his life,

甚至在他生命的最后几天，

I could not afford to take him to a hospital.

我也没钱送他去医院。

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

去年六月，

当我抱着他的尸体埋进土里时，

in June of last year,

I realized I had paid a profound price

我才意识到， 为了喊出自己的声音，

for amplifying my voice.

我付出了巨大的代价。

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

声讨多层次的 不公正向来很难，

because the problems require more than just rhetoric.

因为这些问题需要的 不仅仅是言辞。

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

只要非洲的金矿、 油田和大农场

继续由外国投资者所有，

by foreign investors

and those vital resources are shipped to the West,

且这些重要资源继续被运往西方，

the stream of African migrants will flow continuously.

非洲的移民迁徙就会持续不断。

There are no restrictions that could ever be so rigorous

没有任何限制能够严格到

足以阻止决定人类历史的移民潮。

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

Before border controls can be tightened

在加强边境管制和

and new visa restrictions imposed,

实施新签证限制之前，

countries that have long received migrants

长期接受移民的国家

应该进行一场更加开放的讨论。

should engage in a more open discussion.

That is the only practical start for reconciling, finally,

那才是唯一的实际启动， 为了最终能够调和

a legacy of exploitation,

由剥削、

slavery,

奴役、

colonialism

殖民主义，

和帝国主义遗留的问题，

and imperialism,

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

然后我们才能一起

在21世纪创造出 更加公正的全球经济，

in the 21st century --

让所有人都受益的全球经济。

one that benefits all.