Imperialist wars and neo-liberal policies cause mass migration

 

Statement of Georgos Loucaides, AKEL C.C. Spokesperson

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 10th September 2015, Nicosia

 

AKEL welcomes the critical statements made by the President of the governing DISY party Averof Neophytou about the enormous responsibilities of those who began wars and waged military interventions in countries from which the immigration crisis plaguing Europe today have been provoked.

Given the deep sensitivity and feelings of solidarity for the tragedy of the refugees and immigrants in general who are trying to reach Europe, we await that the DISY party will recognize that in addition to the imperialist wars an equally key factor generating the phenomenon of mass immigration are the neo-liberal and neo-colonial policies to the detriment of the world’s poorest countries and the unending looting of these countries’ wealth and resources by the major imperialist powers.

Mainly, however, we await the sincere self-criticism by the leadership of the DISY party, given that the party of the Right, during the period in question, supported all the imperialist interventions and policies of the US, NATO and the European Union in Libya, Syria and elsewhere in North Africa, in addition to supporting the Syrian opposition, along with the Islamists in the attempt to overthrow Assad.

At the same time in previous years, when the DISY party was in opposition, it least schemed, if not led the way to say the least in cultivating a racist and xenophobic climate against immigrants among our people through an unacceptable scaremongering and populism, exploiting the economic misfortune many of our compatriots were facing.