Floods, Plagues and Swamps: The power of words in the migration context

During the "2nd Thematic Workshop - Migration for Harmonious Societies" in preparation for the GFMD 2016, the Secretary General of Terre des Hommes International and Chair of the GFMD 2015 Civil Society Days Ignacio Packer presented an inspiring speech on how our daily language on migrants and migration can influence the way we perceive these issues.

Speaking in front of over 100 government representatives his intervention on behalf of Civil Society challenged the language that is used on the topic of migrants and migration, and asked his audience, do they want to use the power of words for harm…or for harmony.

There is a metaphor so embedded in the discussion of refugees and migrants that most politicians seem to be using it.  It’s the image of refugees and migrants as water, as in “waves of refugees” or “the flow of migrants”.  It can also become a “flood” or a place can be “swamped” by recent arrivals.  Professor Gregory Lee at the University of Lyon calls this the “inundation metaphor.”

Well-established media such as the New York Times and the BBC have been using “flood” and “stream” as verbs to describe the movement of people.  Civil society organisations have also been using it to attract the attention on the magnitude of movements. Recent media headlines are often accompanied by photographs depicting masses of people instead of individuals.

In Europe, in the Indian Ocean context, in the Americas or elsewhere, we’re not being “overwhelmed” by a “tidal wave” of migrants.  How can anyone justify this callous, misleading language?

• Read the full statement
• The 5-year-8-point Action plan referred to in the speech
• More information on the website of Terre des Hommes International's campaign "Destination Unknown"

© of the picture: Cagle.com