EU countries should liberalize their visa process

 European Union (EU) countries are now struggling with influx of thousands of refugees, slow economic growth and high employment, terrorist attacks and presence of network of the Islamic State with a negative perception about Muslims in the Middle-east.

The Nice attack in France on July 14, 2016, the   attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon (September 2001), the terrorist attacks in Madrid (2004), the assassination of the Dutch Film-maker Theo van Gogh (November 2004), and the bombings in London (2005) have led to a proliferation of plans for anti-terrorism measures in EU countries.

The EU countries have spent considerable efforts creating initiatives to prevent further radicalization that involves community building, strengthening individuals’ attachments to civil society, and adequate capacity for interventions against radicals.

The European Commission said that the economy of the 28-member European Union grew 1.9 percent in 2015 — in line with its previous forecast, in November. But it lowered its forecasts by 0.1 of a percentage point in 2016, to 1.9 percent, and by the same amount in 2017, to 2 percent.

The United States economy has been growing faster than that of Europe in the past few years — by 2.4 percent in 2015, for example — although it, too, has shown signs of slowing.

The European Commission estimated that the 19-member euro-zone grew 1.6 percent last year, and that it would grow 1.9 percent in 2017. Those figures were in line with its previous forecasts. But the commission slightly lowered its prediction for eurozone growth this year, to 1.7 percent of gross domestic product, from 1.8 percent.

Such a slight decline would represent a reduction in the eurozone’s GDP of about 11 billion euros, or $12 billion, the commission said.
Growth across the European Union will be slower than previously estimated this year and next as the world economy shifts into a lower gear and European leaders wrangle over how to handle an influx of refugees.

European Union officials said in a forecast that a drop in China’s external trade was expected to hurt the European economy, that reactions in Europe to large-scale migration from the Middle East and Africa could impede trade between European countries, and could distract policy makers from making sorely needed economic overhauls.

The lack of a unified response to the migration crisis in the European Union has led countries like Denmark, Germany and France to temporarily re-establish border controls with neighboring member states. That threatens to slow commercial truck traffic and other cross-border business, and presents a significant economic risk, particularly if there is a surge in migration this year.

The turmoil is also threatening the European Union’s Schengen agreement, which normally allows for borderless travel in much of the bloc.

“There is a high cost for our economies if Schengen would be at risk,” Pierre Moscovici, the European commissioner for economic and financial affairs.

Government investment in accommodating migrants and enhancing border security could lift growth in some European countries by up to 0.5 percent, Moscovici said. But it is too early to make any forecasts about the net effect of the influx, he said.

The commission’s statement also warned of risks from a further interest rate increase in the United States that could cause disruption in financial markets, and from a further fall in oil prices that could hurt oil exporting countries and crimp demand for European exports.

Immigration policy practices in the 1960s and 1970s accommodated Muslim immigrants who were guest-workers in the then western Europe. In the 1970s, immigrants began settling more permanently in the then western European countries and subsequently the 1980s saw an increase in family reunification and marriage migration.

Since the mid-1990s, there have been efforts to make EU immigration policies more restrictive. This transformation has happened in three respects: first, an ‘asylum-seekers crisis’ in the mid-1990s was caused by a great influx of asylum applicants.

Around 220 Dutch Muslims are believed to have travelled to join armed groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), raising fears that they might carry out attacks in the Netherlands when they return, according to a Dutch secret service AIVD report.

The current negative climate around Muslims in the European Union is closely connected to security concerns posed by terrorism, and racism and violence have particularly exacerbated after the September 11th, 2001 attacks in the United States and the murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh. Examples of the rise in Islamophobia are evident from the increase in racial profiling, job discrimination, to inequity in financial services. The ECRI reports that since the second report, there has been a rise in complaints concerning discrimination and the applying for mortgages and “redlining” practices (refusing mortgages to applicants living in certain areas and neighborhoods).

The western countries often issue travel warnings to their citizens regarding visiting Bangladesh. Amid Gulshan incident on July 1, 2016, some western countries issued travel warnings to their citizens regarding visiting Bangladesh.

The world has changed a lot after September 11, 2001. On the morning of 11 September 2001, 19 hijackers took control of four commercial passenger jets flying out of airports on the east coast of the United States.

The western powers often treat Muslims as a threat to the countries. Some members of the Islamic States are damaging reputation of the Muslim world. Islam does not permit terrorism, violence and vandalism.

Terrorists, snatchers, muggers, racists and rapists live in every part of the world.

Criminals target innocent tourists in every part of the world. Snatching or robbery is not uncommon in France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland and Spain. Black Africans or racist white Europeans often target Asian tourists. Tourists may lose their passports or money-bags or valuables. Tourists always don't pass pleasant moment in the European Union countries.

Germany and France have the largest Muslim populations among European Union member countries. As of 2010, there were 4.8 million Muslims in Germany (5.8% of the country’s population) and 4.7 million Muslims in France (7.5%). In Europe overall, however, Russia’s population of 14 million Muslims (10%) is the largest on the continent.

 The Muslim share of Europe’s total population has been increasing steadily. In recent decades, the Muslim share of the population throughout Europe grew about 1 percentage point a decade, from 4% in 1990 to 6% in 2010. This pattern is expected to continue through 2030, when Muslims are projected to make up 8% of Europe’s population.

Muslims are younger than other Europeans. In 2010, the median age of Muslims throughout Europe was 32, eight years younger than the median for all Europeans (40). By contrast, the median age of religiously unaffiliated people in Europe, including atheists, agnostics and those with no religion in particular, was 37. The median age of European Christians was 42.

While the world’s population is projected to grow 35% in the coming decades, the number of Muslims is expected to increase by 73% – from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.8 billion in 2050. In 2010, Muslims made up 23.2% of the global population. Four decades later, they are expected to make up about three-in-ten of the world’s people (29.7%).

By 2050, Muslims will be nearly as numerous as Christians, who are projected to remain the world’s largest religious group at 31.4% of the global population.

 

Meanwhile, Bangladesh economy has been growing steadily over the years despite slowdown in global economy. The country will become a middle-income economy by 2021 and a developed country by 2041.

“Bangladesh will become one of the key players in the world economy by 2021 when the country celebrates its golden jubilee,” said last Turkish Ambassador to Bangladesh Huseyin Muftuoglu in an interview with a daily. He praised steady economic growth of Bangladesh over the last few years, empowerment of women specially by the readymade garment sector, increasing enrollment of girls’ education, success in tackling disaster management and improvement in primary health and sanitation.          

Bangladesh that got independence through a bloody war in 1971 will celebrate its golden jubilee in 2021.

Referring to the UN Millennium Development Goals the Turkish envoy praised Bangladesh’s impressive success on all socioeconomic fronts under the prudent leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Economic slowdown and meltdown leaves millions of EU citizens out of jobs. Thousands of East European citizens are often seen begging on the streets of the western EU countries. Foreign tourists are often robbed of their passports, money or valuables in the EU countries.    

Several thousand Bangladeshis are visiting EU countries, Britain and Turkey every year.

The western powers should liberalize their visa process some well-off Bangladesh desire to visit beautiful places in the European Union.  

The expected growth of Islam around the world is perhaps the most striking finding in the recent Pew Research Center report projecting the future of religious groups. Indeed, Muslims will grow more than twice as fast as the overall world population between 2010 and 2050 and, in the second half of this century, will likely surpass Christians as the world’s largest religious group.

European Union (EU) should mull over issuing 5-year multiple visa to Bangladeshi businessmen, particularly exporters, to help boost export market and reduce hassles, said former president of the Bangladesh Garment Exporters Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Abdus Salam  Murshedy while talking to a English daily  recently.

Bangladesh exported goods valued at 34,250 million US dollars cloaking 9.72 per cent in the last 2015-16 fiscal.

Bangladesh exported goods 13,690 million US dollars during the July-October period of the current fiscal year.

Bangladesh usually exports goods in the USA and EU markets and nearly 55-60 per cent of the total exports go to the EU countries. Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands and Poland are major export markets.

Over the years, United States has been giving 5-year multiple visas to leading Bangladeshi businessmen, especially exporters and members of the civil society. India also issues 5-year multiple visas to Bangladeshi businessmen.

However, EU countries usually give one or two year , sometimes six-month visa to Bangladeshi businessmen. The getting of EU visa costs around taka 10,000 and takes 2-4 weeks.

Bangladesh economy has posted over 7.00 per cent growth and per capital income has crossed 1400 US dollars. Bangladesh is set to become a middle income country by 2021, and a member of the developed countries by 2041.

Abdus Salam  Murshedy, also president of Exporters Association of  Bangladesh,  said like USA and India , EU countries should also start issuing 5-year multiple visa to Bangladeshi businessmen, particularly readymade garment exporters.

Leading garment exporters and their representatives now have to travel frequently to different countries. The issuing of 5-year EU multiple visa like USA will help expand market and reduce hassles.                        

In the textile and garment sectors of Bangladesh, at least 10,000--25000 Indians, Chinese, Pakistanis, Taiwanese, Sri Lankans, Filipinos and South Koreans work whose salary ranges between 2000 US dollars and 10,000 US dollars per month.

Even several thousand Bangladeshis having completed their education in the USA, Australia, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway and Denmark have returned to Bangladesh and are employed in different sectors of the country.

Former BGMEA president Md Atiqul Islam and former BGMEA First President Md Nasir Uddin also echoed with this correspondent that EU should start issuing 5-year multiple visas to Bangladeshis businessmen to help expand market.

Based on export earnings and tax paid to the government exchequer and upon request from leading trade bodies like BGMEA, FBCCI and MCCI, EU should to start issuing 5-year multiple EU visa, said a leading readymade garment exporter. Bangladesh missions in the EU should also pursue respective countries in this regard.

He also said that EU countries should change their mindset towards Bangladeshis as the country is on the track of the higher economy. For professional and different purposes, Bangladeshis are increasing visiting different countries.

Even during two Eid vacations, some 2,00,000 Bangladeshis visit counties like Singapore, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, India, the Maldives, the USA, Britain, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, France and Italy to see their near and dear ones.

Some members of the Islamic States are damaging reputation of the Muslim world. Islam does not permit terrorism, violence and vandalism. The Bangladesh government, political parties, Islamic scholars, educationists, business leaders, social thinkers, sociologists, economists, psychologists, imams of the mosques and members of the civil society should work together to improve the status of the Bangladeshis abroad.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said a quarter of western world is out to spread falsehood against Muslims in many ways but Muslims do not believe in any militant and terrorists acts.

"A panic is being created with Islam . . . But the Muslims don't believe in militancy-terrorism," he said while speaking at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) at Segunbagicha.

Inu, also the president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), said it has become a moral obligation of all media people to do something against the falsehoods against Islam and Muslims.

Risingbd/Dhaka/Jan 19, 2017/Mukul