How similar are we to France, and is it easy to see similar uprisings in Greece

An uprising of immigrants whom the French state cannot (or does not want to) integrate is shaking a country once shaken by the slogan “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”.

In modern-era France, with an ineffectual Macron and a lurking “wolf” Le Pen, nothing works as it should. And those who know little about French society understand why this uprising is happening, and why the murder of a child was the impetus.

The “hatred” of children in the northern suburbs of glamorous Paris is not easy to understand for those of us who do not know how these families live. Ghettoization, miserable living conditions, huge unemployment in their families, low level of education, because they are forced to drop out of school and do any work in order to survive. Many of them have never seen the Eiffel Tower, the Avenue des Champs Elysees, one of the most expensive streets in the world, and the sparkling lights of the Champs-Elysées.

Modern “Les Misérables” Hugo, children of the second and third generation, all they have is a survival instinct that often turns into hatred for those they cannot understand. And an uprising is inevitable, no matter how much the petty bourgeoisie in France and Greece may accuse them, or curse them, or call them murderers and thieves, or arouse in them the most inhuman racist passions.

Doesn’t this remind you of anything? Don’t we have second and third generation immigrants in Greece who can’t integrate? Don’t we have a ghetto here too? No unemployment, no increase in crime among immigrants, because the instinct of hunger and survival is stronger than anything else?

Let’s see what happens to our own immigrants. They live near Omonia or in the western suburbs in shabby apartments. Or in closed shelters, as if they were jailed for crimes they never committed. Unemployment in the ranks of refugees and migrants is huge. They do dirty work, or work that the Greeks are ashamed to do. Often employers exploit them, do not pay, beat them.

Many of them sell whatever they can find to make a living as parents. Antetokounmpo, “illegals” among legal ones. Many of them even find it difficult to exercise their religious rights in Greece, where democracy, freedom and tolerance reign.

What about their children? Children of the second and third generation who do not know any other homeland than Greece? Children who find it difficult to obtain citizenship, who cannot be integrated into the school process, who face racism and xenophobia at every turn? How similar are these children who live in the neighborhood, who often live in ghetto conditions, to children who are raised in France?

Are we ready as a society to prevent such situations? What are we doing, as a state and as citizens, to avoid what is happening in the suburbs of Paris and in other French cities? Or are we going to wash our hands and wait for the fatal outcome, which is nothing less than the rise of the far right and extremely dangerous murderous racism?

Obviously, there is no place here for a discussion on the topic “what they wanted, then they came here. They got up and left” or even “drowned in the sea.” Obviously, we can’t listen to either the ultra-right Chrysi Avgi or the voices of Velopoulos (who isn’t really far-right) saying that if necessary, let’s shoot the boat.

The question is what can we prevent by pursuing a social, humanitarian policy that at least considers second and third generation immigrants automatically as Greeks. Which will not be alienated if the “foreigner” proudly holds the Greek flag (even if it is not Antetokounmpo and his brothers). Nor will we be surprised that a second-generation African can succeed and even get into the Greek Parliament.

Therefore, if we do not want Greece to become… France, we must prevent evil. We can do this if we take off the bandages.

The opinion of the author may not coincide with the opinion of the editors.

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