Globalization: Profits over people (2/2) | DW Documentary

Globalization. Once held to be the key to peace — by spreading prosperity, worldwide. But are more people gaining access to equal opportunities in this increasingly globalized world?

Global free trade profits from the unlimited movement of goods. while people and their ability to work face restrictions and demand grows exponentially. The Spanish agriculture industry is crying out for laborers but not just anyone is welcome.

The higher the fences, the harder the fall. But people keep on jumping. People in Senegal are facing a desperate struggle to find work and a secure future.

It's really tough here. If someone would take me, I'd go right away. And people are fleeing because their country has become a victim of global greed.

The sea is getting emptier. Foreign ships come and take our fish. And amid the competition for work and migratory opportunities, the Chinese are firmly among the winners.

Business is business. They want to earn money. They came here for a better life.

They don't need to attract China to Spain, because China is already here. Almeria on Spain's south coast is a common destination for illegal migration from Africa. Ordinary people risk their lives attempting to reach the Spanish mainland — via the Canary Islands or, more directly, across the Strait of Gibraltar.

The number of people losing their lives in the Mediterranean make us look bad. The Mediterranean is gradually becoming one big coffin. It's a disgrace.

A commercial greenhouse in 2014. The economic crisis back then created competition between migrant workers and Spanish job-seekers although most of the latter soon quit the physically demanding work. The wages are rock-bottom.

Combine state benefits with a bit of work on the side and you're probably better off than working in a greenhouse. Almeria had already been suffering an exodus of native labour to bigger cities elsewhere in Spain. Foreign migrants filled the void.

For most of them, home became one of the shanty-towns known as "Chabolas". Men and women from northern Africa and the Sahel region gathered on well-known street corners, hoping to get work for just a few euros an hour. The pandemic slowed the influx of migrants.

But the numbers of people attempting to cross the Mediterranean have risen again. Our mothers' blessings matter for the journey. We asked if we could go, and they said: yes.

We had to swim out to our boat. He was pulling his backpack behind him, and I held his hand the whole time. It took 8 days for us to reach Spain.

We arrived at midday. It wasn't a nice journey, but God helped us. Nobody got sick, and nothing happened to anyone until we got to Tenerife.

For me, that meant peace. He was just a kid then. The crossing was also at night, with a lot of people on board.

Every time he had to pee, I was scared he'd fall into the sea God knows that I've been watching over him. It takes three years to find a job and a residence permit. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't.

We've met people who had to wait a lot longer than that. Sometimes we were so worried that we just ran out of strength. Spain's intensive agriculture sector is feeling the heat from transnational corporations.

Local employers exploit migrants who have to work illegally while they wait three years to get their work permit. The informal economy is booming. The foreigners do the work that we don't want to do but work that's important.

It's work that people have to tolerate until our laws permit them to do what they'd previously been doing, and then enjoy our recognition as equals. Local authorities in Almeria offer training courses to help the migrants find work with the condition that they live and work legally. I'm not sure whether it's 2 or 4 months they spend actively job-searching.

But they do need support. We need non-nationals to find work in Spain otherwise, we'll lose them. Ndeye Thioro was born in Senegal, and is currently retraining as a chef.

I've learned a lot about cooking skills and recipes. We cook things and taste them. It's great.

I really enjoy my new job. But I first had to cancel my other contract before being able to work in this kitchen. I have my residence permit and a driver's license.

I have a profession, and am now waiting to get citizenship. About 40% of our apprentices are foreigners. And probably 40% of those will also find a job afterwards.

Of course there'll be exceptions. You might have someone who does an apprenticeship and realizes that they don't actually like working in hospitality. The hope is that people will also find work outside the farming sector.

The only option available when I came here was working in agriculture. I had a permit for a different kind of work. I've now been working here for three years — and they pay me.

Samba arrived from Senegal 11 years ago leaving his wife and children at home. He shares this apartment with other migrants each pays 150 euros a month . .

. per bed. My friends all moved out — except one.

And even he's moving out and about to pick up his stuff and then I'll be on my own. So I need to find something else. This is my room.

I was in a rush this morning, and haven't cleaned up. I'm here without my wife. My kids don't know me — but I should have them with me.

It's tough, with my family so far away. Nobody understands how I feel. I should've stayed there and gone to college and now I'd have a job there.

Those who are here illegally live in the Chabolas. The authorities tolerate migrants working without documentation who need accommodation. The makeshift settlements have now developed their own infrastructure and the residents invest in their new homes.

But being illegal compromises their rights to ownership and exposes them to exploitation. The shower . .

. Here I have water. I use this canister to get water from a tank.

This is where I sleep. And this is where I cook. But when I go, I’ll have to abandon my home.

I built it with my own money, but the land belongs to the city. I'm not allowed to sell the house. If I can't get any work here, I'll go to Murcia or Alicante.

Usually, the owners of the greenhouses negotiate directly with the workers. Unfortunately, there's still a substantial underground economy in all sectors including agriculture. And hardly anyone gets an employment contract.

So most workers don't even earn the minimum wage. In some cases, not even the agreed wage. Instead of the negotiated standard wage of 47 euros per day, most are paid no more than 25.

Acquiring a work permit means first securing a full-time job which makes the migrants vulnerable to exploitation. I had to buy my contract. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to apply for a residence permit.

It cost me 6000 euros. Plus my boss demanded that I pay the welfare contributions myself 350 euros per month. I met a woman who was picking strawberries in Huelva.

One time, when she was applying for a job, the boss said she would have to have sex with him as a condition. It's the sort of thing that happens to most women working in the greenhouses. It's really bad.

I wasn't scared when my father said we were going to Spain because I knew the sea. I want to help my family. That's my sole objective.

My family makes all the decisions. That's how it is. Europe is not keen on immigrants while ignoring the fact that it needs them.

While the EU pursues a policy of isolation, countries in the south of the continent desperately need labor. A fatal conflict: in the Mediterrannean alone, 971 migrants drowned in the first six months of 2022, while countless others remain missing. My opinion on immigration policy is that people should be allowed to enter Spain with a job-seeker visa.

That would enable them to see what job opportunities there are and whether they can bring their families over. We need to allow self-regulation among the migrants. Then things wouldn't be as chaotic and disorganized as some people fear.

To stop migration from countries such as Senegal, the EU has been eager to address the root causes. European companies are partially responsible for the depletion of fish stocks and farmland that is driving people to leave their homelands. Fishing has become so decisive in Senegal in part because the government issues licenses to Chinese and European fleets.

Each year, however, foreign companies catch thousands of tons more than their permitted quotas. The sea is getting emptier. I can still remember when there were plenty of fish here near the island of Gorée.

The foreign ships break the law by catching squid, for example. I don't think our president knows. Foreigners are only allowed to fish up to 200 miles away from the coast.

That's the reason for all the trouble. The plundering of local fish stocks is having a devastating impact on the livelihoods of villages along the 500-kilometer-long Senegalese coast. Mbaye Faye!

How was it today? Aren't you the captain? Come here!

I need to have a quick chat with you! You've just been out there. Not much luck for us today.

The other boats got more — maybe 100 or 150 crates. But it was a bad day in general. I guess that means no money today.

Where are the fish today, Cherno? Did you get unlucky? There's just not enough fish anymore .

. . The big ships are taking our catches.

The fishing industry employs 600 thousand people in Senegal, including crew members hired by foreign trawlers to catch fish from their own waters. Look how small our boat is, and how it's confronted by another boat. It had almost gotten back to shore.

They're fishing illegally in our waters. They're destroying our operations and also our equipment. And they're really aggressive.

They come from China and Turkey. There are also Germans and other white people. Fewer fish means less food for the local population.

And there are also restrictions on exports to Gambia, Guinea and other neighbouring countries. And those working in processing fish remains into feed are affected as well. It's the only work we have here.

We process all parts of the fish and sell everything ourselves from the smoked fish to the fishmeal that we export to various countries. Right now we mothers are really struggling to earn enough money to feed our family. And of course we want our children to be able to attend school.

Mbour is one of the main points of departure for people hoping to reach Spain via the Canary Islands. The first stage of their journey is in a local pirogue boat. Once out at sea, they transfer to larger vessels for a treacherous journey that costs 600 euros.

This is the family of Matar Ndoye, the man from Senegal who lives in Almeria with his son. It's been 14 months since his wife and Laba, his father, last saw him. You guys OK?

Yes, just fine. And your hair? It's white!

I dyed it. Pray that we'll finally get our documentation. Yes, we will.

Please do. My daughter left too. She got married in Italy.

Some people get lucky, others don't. Things are improving. Matar's young and can earn money.

But I told him to take his child with him. Senegal is facing the exodus of an entire generation. And people who have nothing left to lose .

. . have less to fear.

A lot of people think life is better in Europe — but that's just fantasy. Some people have died, while others made it — thank god. My two brothers did — but they're out of work, and have been there for 18 months now.

We wouldn't have to leave if we were earning as much as we used to. But the fishing business is history. In 2006 I almost left on a boat for Europe.

And there were people ready to set sail in 2021 too but I thought it was best to stay home. I liked the idea at first — but not anymore. The crews on the big foreign ships have been stealing our fishermen's equipment.

They have more rights than we do. I've been dreaming of going to Europe for years, earning money there and investing it here because life's so tough. Young people are going there because you can earn so much more.

Everyone who left wants to come back — to help their parents back home. If things were OK here, nobody would head off to Europe. It's really tough here.

It's really tough here. If someone would take me, I'd go right away. The Senegalese government insists it is not to blame.

First: the dwindling fish stocks are a global phenomenon. Most of the species are being completely overfished. We stopped issuing additional licenses for small fishing vessels in 2012.

And the ministry hasn’t awarded a license for industrial fishing since April 2020. The pressure on fisheries is in part a result of developments in Senegal's farming sector. 70% of the overall population depends on agriculture for their livelihood.

But floods, erosion and drought now plague the country thanks to climate change Fertile farmland is gradually drying up and being lost to degradation. And of the agricultural land that is available, local farmers have only limited access. Senegal itself is supporting the sell-off of its own agricultural industry.

The Senegalese government provided multinational concerns like Fruitier de Marseille with hundreds of hectares of land. There are greenhouses there bigger than anything I've ever seen in Europe five stories high. They produce fruit and vegetables that are exported directly from the new Saint Louis airport to Paris, London and so on.

Djibril Thiam works for a Swiss aid agency and is familiar with the interdependency of farming, fishing and migration. Land-grabbing is a global phenomenon. According to Senegalese studies, it's mainly Moroccan companies that are currently here.

But we shouldn't forget that other countries are also involved. It's a vicious cycle. Unable to feed their families, farmers without land are turning to fishing.

More fishers means more competition for the dwindling stocks of fish. The pressure on those who live from subsistence fishing grows further, while the plundering of local waters by Asian and European deep-sea fleets continues unabated destroying livelihoods with their nets. It's not just money that lures young people to fishing.

It's also because the sea offers direct access to Europe. It's their gateway to migration. The number of Senegalese working abroad — whether legally or illegally is estimated at two and a half to three million.

According to the Central Bank of West Africa States, immigrants sent over one a half billion euros back home in 2017 alone. Many graduates and other skilled workers also want to go to Europe. And that brain drain is further weakening Senegal's economic and scientific competitiveness.

Alioune has a law degree and shares an apartment with some students. He wants to leave as soon as he can. They set out from Morocco in grey inflatable boats.

But I need to find a job before I can go to Morocco. My brothers and my parents are helping me. The boat crossing is really expensive.

It costs one million 200 thousand West African francs My parents are helping, despite the journey being dangerous. I need help — because without a job I can't earn any money. Alioune doesn’t think he would be able to work as a lawyer in Senegal.

I did all the diplomas at college, but I didn't get a doctorate. I spent a lot of years studying, and now I don't want to lose even more time. I'm completely demoralized.

If it weren't for my belief in God and the prophet Serigne Touba, I'd kill myself. That's the only reason why not. But otherwise, suicide would be the obvious option.

His goal is Spain, then Germany — even though the 32-year-old does not expect to get a warm welcome there. I want to earn money there and also gain some experience. In Germany I can earn at least 50 euros in two days.

Here, you have to work 15 or 20 days to earn maybe 25 euros. Hopefully I'll be able to find a job in Germany that earns me at least 30 euros a day. That would be great.

Then, I could come back and use that money and my diplomas to find a job here. We live in a globalized world. The world is a global village.

Europeans can come here, and I can go over there. I've got nothing against the Europeans here. And when I get to Europe, maybe people there will hate me.

But they won't kill me or harm me. Our continents have been connected for centuries. The Europeans come here, we go to them.

It's God's will. Globalization is also a competition albeit one where not everyone is allowed to compete. And Europe is very selective when it comes to immigration with entry typically granted only to those who can afford it.

Madrid, for example, is home to 65000 Chinese. I believe there is growth from the community. But we need to track on our community history, because the first members came during the 1980s.

They used to have restaurants, and of course the best place for restaurants is in big cities. So we started in Madrid and Barcelona, and then the second-line cities. Madrid is attractive, because it's quite open.

The government welcomes business and investment, and also the people are quite internationalized than in other areas. And China also has lots of products to offer. So this is just to open up to the world.

China looks at history, and wants its own opportunity to develop without limitations. Like Europe had the opportunity one or two centuries ago, North America as well. And China wants to have its own opportunity.

The Chinese immigrants are a self-confident community. They are equally as ambitious as their homeland. If you look at history, in the last 4,000 years, China was many times at the top of the world.

The western world needs to trust that the Chinese way also works. It's not a matter of: my way is better than your way. The new Silk Road is called the “Belt and Road“ initiative.

This came in 2013. And now there is a train called "Yiuwu", which runs all the way from China through Europe to here. This is one more way for China and Spain to get close.

Dawei Ding runs China FM, a Madrid-based radio station that serves the Chinese diaspora. Today, he's visiting the Chinese commercial estate Cobo Calleja. Like you see: it's very big.

Cobo Calleja is the biggest marketplace for professionals in all the south of Europe. My Spanish friends were very impressed, with all the names in Chinese: the shops, companies and the people moving around. It's very good business here.

The first Chinese families came in the 1970s. We have a history of 40 or 50 years. So most members of the Chinese community are still in the first generation.

They don't speak the language very well. They are not so adapted or integrated into Spanish society. So they need information about Spain and about Madrid, because of all this news affecting business and your life.

That's why I started in radio, and to give people company. I didn't see it so much as a business. I saw it as necessary to help our people.

Cobo Calleja is a microcosm of China’s global trade philosophy. This is our economy of globalization. For example: China is selling new and in many cases cheap products to Spain.

So Spanish people are benefiting from these cheap and nice products. They can save money, and invest that money to buy other things or renovating their home. For China, globalization means identifying demand, covering niche markets and manufacturing products quickly and cheaply.

China knows what it wants, and is efficient. In Spain, industry and business are not so well developed. It's more China doing business in Spain than Spain doing business in China because we don't have this culture of business.

We don't know how to do it. Shuang Sheng Xu is the founder of Visiotech, and a son of Chinese immigrants. The company specializes in security and surveillance technology and has a workforce of 200.

Its cameras and alarm systems are made in China but sold all around the world. 20 years ago, when I started to travel — to China, Korea and Taiwan what I couldn't understand was that in Asia everyone works very hard and very fast. And you go back to Europe, and everybody is kind of rich.

They don't have this longing for more money, and they have a lot of free time. And with two decades past, now we have the answer: they are rich, and we aren't so much! I will be Chinese for the rest of my life.

It also happened to my children. They were born in Spain, grew up in Spain, and they may go to study in England, the USA or China. They can get the good things from both countries.

They should have an international mentality. This is the way to do business, and to have relationships in the future. Globalization is hardly a recipe for equal opportunity.

And Europe is failing to recognize the economic potential and necessity of organized immigration while ignoring its economic dependence on foreign workers. Our economic system depends on there being no restrictions on capital. The same applies to the flow of workers.

There's a big demand for labor, and that demand cannot be held back. Immigration has been a key factor in Europe's prosperity. But it’s also missing an opportunity to make borders in this globalized world more human and giving immigration a fair and lasting chance.

The history of humankind is a history of migrations. There's never been such a thing as solid and stable cultural identities lasting forever. An important aspect of our history has also been how we've continually adapted, and reinvented ourselves.

For me, that's also something that can be attributed to migration.