Sometimes history seems to move in a circle. Several hundred years ago, white people used modern tools and weapons to occupy Africa. They taught local people their languages and cultures and tried, through modern education, to transform those they regarded as “uncivilized” into “civilized” people. The colonizers probably could not have imagined that, decades or a century later, those linguistic connections would allow many Africans who speak English or French to travel to the former colonial powers and become part of those societies. France, for example, once had many colonies in Africa, where many people learned French. Later, they could simply buy a plane ticket, travel from Africa to France overnight, have a drink in a bar, meet local French people, fall in love, become a couple, and possibly build a family there. Through immigration, work, family relationships, or other legal pathways, some may eventually obtain permanent status or citizenship. In that sense, history seems to form a circle.
If white Europeans had not occupied those countries several generations ago and had not intended to “civilize” the people they regarded as primitive, perhaps some of these developments would not be happening in the same way today. Without that history, the language barrier would be enormous. Language may be one of the greatest barriers of all. Whether someone knows the language is probably one of the most important factors when trying to join a new society. If people from Africa speak very good French, France naturally becomes easier for them to understand. They can communicate with people, go to school, find jobs, deal with institutions, make friends, and form relationships. The same language does not automatically mean that they will successfully become part of French society, but it clearly makes many things easier. A hundred years ago, France brought its language and culture into Africa. Today, the people who learned that language, or whose parents and grandparents learned it, can use the same language when they travel in the opposite direction.
India presents a different but somewhat similar situation. India was also colonized by Britain, and the British educational system played a very important role there. Indian people therefore have an important language advantage when they move to English-speaking countries. Because India has a very large population and many people look for better employment, education, and life opportunities overseas, Britain, Canada, the United States, and other English-speaking countries become natural choices for many of them. English gives them an advantage in this process. They do not have to begin with a completely unfamiliar language. Again, this is an interesting historical result. Britain once went to India and brought English education with it. Today, many Indians use English when they go to Britain, Canada, the United States, or other parts of the English-speaking world. The old political relationship has disappeared, but the language still connects these societies.
France provides perhaps an even more interesting image. You can see many French people with family backgrounds connected to former colonies, and football gives a very visible example. The French national team has included many Black players and players from immigrant families. This should not be treated as a complete picture of French society, but it is still an interesting image of social change. About a hundred years ago, France occupied large parts of Africa. Today, people with African family backgrounds can represent France in the World Cup. This has even produced a sharp joke: a hundred years ago, the French used guns to “occupy” Africa, whereas now Africans are “occupying” France in a different way. Of course, modern immigration is not military occupation, so this can only be understood as a joke or a historical metaphor. But the historical irony behind it is still interesting. In the past, Europeans moved from Europe into Africa and Asia. Today, many people from Africa and Asia move in the opposite direction toward Europe.
This is also why immigration has become such a complicated issue in Britain and France. Britain and France emphasize human rights, individual rights, democratic principles, and national values. If they use extremely strong policies against immigrants, they may damage beliefs that they have upheld for decades or even centuries. But at the same time, some people worry about population change and national identity. They may ask whether their country can continue to accept large numbers of people from completely different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. You can also see different attitudes toward different groups of refugees and immigrants. Some people may feel that Ukrainians are culturally or ethnically closer to them than refugees from Africa, and this may influence their attitudes. So the problem is not only immigration itself. It is also connected to whether a society believes that newcomers belong to the same national community.
This creates a strange historical situation. European countries once tried to bring their languages, education, culture, religion, and political systems to other parts of the world. They probably believed that European civilization was moving outward and changing other societies. But they could not have imagined all of the long-term consequences. Once a language has been taught to millions of people, it cannot simply be taken back. Once educational and cultural connections have been created, they may continue for generations. Later, those connections can make migration easier. People from former colonies may already know the language of the former colonial country. They may already understand parts of its culture and educational system. They may already have family members or communities living there. In this way, the old colonial relationship continues to influence modern migration even after the empire itself has disappeared.
That is why I feel history sometimes moves in a circle. A hundred years ago, Europeans travelled outward to Africa and Asia. Today, many people from Africa and Asia travel toward Europe and other Western countries. A hundred years ago, European powers taught people English and French. Today, people use English and French to study, work, immigrate, form relationships, and build new lives in English- and French-speaking societies. The first movement was colonial expansion; the second movement is modern migration. They are not the same thing, and modern immigration should not be called colonialism in reverse. But there is clearly a historical connection between them. The colonial empire disappeared, but the languages and social connections it created remained. In that sense, history has turned around and, in a strange way, come full circle.
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