They are not guilty, far from it, of the economic crisis that we are suffering and lamenting. The results of a survey conducted these days by the Basque Observatory (Gaindegia) among Basque citizens show that the views of the Basques have changed a great deal, especially in the last two years in relation to immigrants who live “without papers” among us.

In 2010, the majority saw foreigners in irregular situations better, when the first consultation was made, two out of ten were in favor of sending them, while today it is said that five out of ten support their expulsion.

Let us not mix with enemies. The Second World War, the times in which we accuse the innocent of our misery: Jews, gypsies ...

At the moment Muslims are suffering endless wars for us to have cheap oil, even if we are against those wars.

Today, however, all things are related, each element that is part of the global economy depends on others, forming a sensitive chain. The large companies in the developed regions, not so large, exploit the resources of the countries with less economic development. Multinational companies, above all, take the raw materials out of any territory of the world at a very low price – after their transformation through industry – selling very expensive, with extraordinary profits, in the hands of which are all the circumstances of the market, and in times of crisis, the citizens of the developed countries are in some cases indirectly benefiting.

This giant, globalised market that we have not chosen, in spite of that, only bets on 1% of the world. The grave situation suffered by our people is not the responsibility of the “undocumented”, but of the exploiters who keep these three years undocumented, the only fault is that same exploiter who has always imposed and maintains neoliberal policies in the territories of immigrants, now more than ever.

The people here and there are victims of multinationals, banks, who are also rejecting the laws of the states that have acted for their own benefit.

On the other hand, on our Blue Planet there are no continents as exploitative as Europe. At least we should know or remember many resources from impoverished, rich continents: The natural resources of Latin America, Asia and Africa are not exploited primarily in the favors of indigenous people but in the benefits of the developed countries of the West. What would we do without their oil? Or if in a fair market we had to pay what this is worth?

It is difficult to know that part of Basque citizenship is gradually turning against “paperless” immigrants. We must be clear that immigrants have not created the crisis here, that they have not closed the Basque factories, nor have they created unemployment in our territory. The painful state in which we are here now cannot blur our sight or confuse our mind.

We have only to learn how to put responsibilities on people who have real power. We must not forget that in the nineteenth century many European citizens went to America to seek bread without papers. In the middle of the twentieth century, they were back from the Basque Country in search of refuge fleeing the war, stating that they were well received. Now let's do the same.

We can be sure that the expulsion of immigrants will not be a way out of the crisis.