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Mahathir warns of migrant flood

by Ian Stewart in Kuala Lumpur

The Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir has proposed that Asian and African countries swamp Europe and the US with legal and illegal immigrants if developing nations are "not allowed to prosper".

In an attack on the Group of Seven countries, the World Bank, the International Fund and the European Union, he said "people mobility" was the ultimate weapon of the developing "South" nations against the developed "North."

As the invited keynote speaker at the inaugural Southern African International Dialogue in Botswana on Monday night, Dr. Mahathir told the heads of government of 12 regional countries Ñ Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe Ñ that the North was intent upon recolonising the South through "globalisation."

He said the developing countries had fought hard and shed blood for independence. But they would lose it as as result of "the breaking down of national borders" through "globalisation." "We should migrate North in the millions, legally or illegally, if we are going to be global citizens," Dr. Mahathir said. "Masses of Asians and Africans should inundate Europe and America."

Dr. Mahathir said he hoped the South would not have to resort to this action.

"But we will if we are not allowed a piece of the action, a piece of the cake - if we are not allowed to prosper in a borderless world," he said.
(Extracted from The Australian)


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