Congo's Dr Denis Mukwege, EU Human Rights Prizewinner, 'Worried' For Europe Over Anti-Immigration Rhetoric

STRASBOURG -- Rising anti-immigration rhetoric in Europe is a "worrying" trend that could lead to more discrimination, the Congolese winner of the European Union's most distinguished human rights award has said.

Gynaecologist Dr Denis Mukwege, a five-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee who has treated more than 30,00 victims of sexual violence in war, said he himself had been forced to flee for Sweden after being the victim of an assassination attempt, only returning to his home country some time later.

On the eve of his receiving the Sakharov Prize at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where immigration has been dominating debate during Tuesday's plenary session, Mukwege told HuffPost UK the solution is "not to build walls around Europe so no one can come in".

Solutions have to be to support African countries to build their own economies, so young people don't all want to leave," he warned. "This is completely possible. For those who want to fight immigration, I say the solution, to stop people who are dying in the sea to come over to Europe, is more humanitarian.

"Of course, you can make laws and so on, but someone is coming here because he sees opportunities. You have to create that opportunity in his own country."

Any other action was just "racism", he said, recalling how Chinese tourists were treated in Europe 30 years ago when he first studied there. "At the airport, I could pass immigration with no problems," he said. "Now China has a strong economy, they are received here like princes.

"You can see that in each capital, the Chinese are giving huge opportunities to buy, and no one can stop them because of [objections to] immigration.

"This is only 30 years ago, before everyone thought they were coming for underground work, now they are a rich country, things have changed."



http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/11/25/congo-denis-mukwege_n_6219312.html?utm_hp_ref=uk