The Parasite of Colonialism Facing Payback Time

The Parasite of Colonialism

Picture Europe as a smug, overstuffed tapeworm, bloated from centuries of feasting on the resources, labor, and dignity of its colonies. Colonialism was no polite dinner party—it was a parasitic rampage, plundering gold, spices, and lives while leaving behind chaos and arbitrary borders. Now, in a cosmic twist, the descendants of those colonized lands are knocking on Europe’s door, refugees from the messes left behind. Is this parasitism in reverse? Nah, it’s more like history sending an invoice with a smirk. Let’s unpack this with some hard truths, framing the refugee influx as poetic justice from the formerly colonized.

Colonialism was the ultimate freeloader, a parasite that burrowed into nations, siphoned their wealth, and left them gasping. As Albert Memmi wrote in The Colonizer and the Colonized, “The colonialist never planned to transform the colony into the image of his motherland… He was there to profit.” Profit he did—think of the British looting India’s textiles or the Belgians turning the Congo into a rubber plantation. The 1884 Berlin Conference carved Africa like a pie, ignoring ethnic realities and sparking conflicts that still burn. One study estimates that 90% of African ethnic conflicts trace to colonial borders, not pre-colonial feuds.

The Middle East got the same treatment. The 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, drawn by British and French diplomats, created nations like Iraq and Syria, setting the stage for instability. As Arundhati Roy noted, “The British Empire left behind a trail of blood and chaos.” Colonialism didn’t just take resources; it rewrote cultures, imposed languages, and erased identities. Aimé Césaire nailed it in Discourse on Colonialism: “They talk to me about progress… I am talking about societies drained of their essence, cultures trampled underfoot.”

The Payback: Refugees as Reckoning

Fast forward to today, and Europe’s former hosts are crashing the party. Since 2015, over 1.3 million asylum seekers have flooded the EU annually, many from former colonies—Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, Eritrea. These aren’t random travelers; they’re fleeing the fallout of colonial messes: wars, poverty, and climate crises. Take Syria, a French-British creation, where over 6 million refugees have fled since 2011. Or sub-Saharan Africa, where colonial resource grabs left economies in tatters. As Franz Fanon put it, “The wealth of the imperialist nations is also our wealth… Europe is literally the creation of the Third World.”

Here’s the irony: Europe, the former parasite, now whines about being “invaded.” It’s like a thief complaining that the family he robbed is sleeping in his guest room. The UK’s Windrush scandal is a perfect example—Caribbean immigrants, invited to rebuild post-WWII Britain, were later deported. As one report noted, “The Home Office destroyed thousands of landing cards,” erasing proof of their right to stay. Talk about colonial amnesia! As Césaire quipped, “Europe is morally, spiritually indefensible.”

The Climate Twist

Let’s add a modern zinger: climate change. The 2022 IPCC report finally admitted colonialism’s role in the climate crisis, noting that the Global North—former colonizers—accounts for over 90% of excess carbon emissions. Meanwhile, countries like Bangladesh or Somalia, ravaged by floods and droughts, send refugees to Europe’s shores. Jason Hickel puts it bluntly: “The climate crisis is a direct legacy of colonial extraction.” These aren’t just climate refugees; they’re colonial refugees, displaced by the West’s carbon gluttony. As Lupita Nyong’o said, “Colonialism fractured our sense of self.” Now, that fracture is walking into Europe.

The Humor in the Hypocrisy

Let’s have a laugh at the absurdity. Europe once sailed across oceans to “civilize” the world, as Rudyard Kipling’s “White Man’s Burden” urged: “Fill full the mouth of Famine, And bid the sickness cease.” Now, it builds razor-wire fences to keep out the “savages” it created. France, which once preached “mission civilisatrice,” detains refugees in camps that would make a colonial governor wince. As Abdulrazak Gurnah wrote, “They came to us as suppliants… and we turned them into our inferiors.” The same nations that looted diamonds and dignity now clutch their pearls when the colonized demand a share. It’s almost funny—until you see the human cost.

The Evidence: Numbers Tell the Story

By 2023, over 26 million refugees globally were fleeing conflict or persecution, many from former colonies. Germany alone saw over 200,000 asylum applications in 2022, largely from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Economically, colonialism left scars: former colonies like Nigeria have GDPs per capita a tenth of Europe’s, despite fueling its wealth. As Toni Morrison described Africa, “A kind of old fetus always waiting to be born.” That birth is happening now, on Europe’s doorstep.

Conclusion: History’s Long Arc

So, what’s the takeaway? The refugee influx isn’t parasitism—it’s history’s ledger balancing out. Europe, the tapeworm that gorged on the Global South, now faces the descendants of its hosts, demanding not just survival but dignity. As Memmi noted, “The colonial situation manufactures colonialists, just as it manufactures the colonized.” Those colonized are now reshaping Europe, not as invaders but as agents of poetic justice. They bring cultures, cuisines, and perspectives that enrich the continent, challenging its monochrome identity. As Alok Vaid-Menon and Janani Balasubramanian said, “Colonialism criminalized our existence.” Now, that existence is asserting itself, vibrant and unapologetic.

This isn’t just payback; it’s a reckoning with deeper implications. Europe must confront its colonial sins, not just in policy but in its soul. The refugee crisis forces a mirror to its face, reflecting the violence and greed it exported. As Melinda L de Jesus wrote, “The traumas associated with colonization… scarred us all.” Ignoring this only deepens the wound. Instead, Europe could embrace this as a chance to heal—integrating refugees not as charity but as a moral debt repaid. As Césaire warned, “A civilization that chooses to close its eyes to its most crucial problems is a sick civilization.” The future hinges on whether Europe opens its eyes or builds higher walls.

Imagine a Europe that acknowledges its past, not with guilt but with accountability, weaving the stories of the formerly colonized into its fabric. The alternative—fortress Europe, xenophobia, and denial—only prolongs the poison Césaire described: “A poison instilled into the veins of Europe.” The refugee influx is a chance to rewrite the narrative, not as parasite and host but as equals in a shared history. As Audre Lorde said, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” Maybe it’s time for new tools, built together.

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References

• More than a metaphor: ‘climate colonialism’ in perspective
• Colonization Quotes
• A controversial article praises colonialism
• 20 Quotes From ‘Discourse On Colonialism’ By Aimé Césaire
• Albert Memmi Quotes
• The past is still present: why colonialism deserves better coverage
• ‘Discourse on Colonialism’ by Aimé Césaire
• The Philosophy of Colonialism
• Colonialism and imperialism cause displacement