by Mikel, Tufts 1+4 Participant
During my time in Europe I have experienced and witnessed the many services governments provide, from public health insurance and affordable public university, to reliable and extensive public transport. Despite its many advantages Europe also faces many issues including detraction from the EU, and the migrant crisis. As the migrant crisis is both a humanitarian and global issue that deeply interests me, I have been looking into the ‘immigrant life’ in Europe.
Europe has become a place of hope and opportunity for many people from around the world, a notion that was previously dominated by the US and its ‘American Dream’. During my interactions and experiences in Europe I have seen why this is so and have been able to compare the lives and opportunities for immigrants in Europe and the US.
Europe’s proximity to the several regions where the migrant crisis originates has made it the epicenter for immigration. Thousands of migrants make the treacherous journeys from their homes, crossing the Mediterranean as they attempt to enter Europe through Greece, Italy or Spain. But why has Europe not only become the epicenter for immigration, but also replaced the US as the ‘dreamland’ for immigrants?
Two brothers in my volunteer placement have a Cameroonian father and a Dominican mother. Their father works several odd, normally low-paying jobs and their mother lives in a medical center as she suffers from a degenerative neurological disease. In Spain, their mother’s medical care and housing is paid for through their public health insurance, a reality in Europe that is still a ‘socialist’ dream in the US. The two boys also have the opportunity to attend very affordable if not free public university. In Europe these two situations are not perfect, but the help provided by the government make immigrant and other vulnerable group’s lives’ easier and more productive as they do not have to worry about expensive medical bills and tuition.
These kinds of services not only make their new lives more secure but also help them quickly integrate and positively impact their new homes. I frequently eat at an Ecuadorian bar in a market made up of primarily Chinese, Peruvian, and Ecuadorian vendors. Talking to the owner, he compared his immigrant experience to that of his family who moved to the US. He said, “We arrived and could immediately receive good healthcare, send our kids to good schools, and universities, whereas my family in the US struggle to pay medical bills as they try to keep their small business afloat.” With their taxes directly paying for their healthcare and educational costs, immigrants in Spain are more easily able to open small businesses and send their children to university, contributing to the present and future economies of their new homes.
Europe, like the US, has witnessed rising xenophobia as extreme right groups gain more influence. Even still, due to its proximity and the EU’s recent dedication to accepting refugees and immigrants, Europe is becoming an ever more diverse place to live. An immigrants’ life is never an easy one, but services all Europeans accept and cherish, make a better life more attainable for even its newest of citizens.