Washington Post: The European Union is planning to disperse 160,000 refugees throughout Europe. And that shift has been also in the public opinion. Europe has not received, historically and traditionally, a lot of refugees to resettle – unlike for example the United States, which has a large resettlement program. Beyond that, there should be structural changes that allow Europe to respond legally and ethically to future crises.
Advertisement
In Europe, right-wing politicians manipulate the anxieties of workers in the precarious economy of the 21st century – and spew anti-Muslim racism – to keep refugees out.
WP: In the long-term, what is a sustainable, meaningful and realistic solution to the situation with Syrian refugees? We need a stable functioning Syria, with an educated class of workers, and while it may not be a Jeffersonian democracy, Syria has been a stable and well-functioning country in the recent past.
Syria has been at war for years.
The guardian spirit of Assad, the president who continues to massacre his own citizens, said that, “bad people must perish from this earth!” Instead of giving in to the social media fashion hype as to “Who wore it best”, why don’t we look into the real issues of the world and vote according to “Who can lead us best”. Only about an estimated 12% of the foreign assistance budget goes to humanitarian support for refugees caught in the crosshairs of war.
But these host countries aren’t a permanent home. They have been bombed out of their homes, lost livelihoods, and denied food, water, and health care.
We should be proud of the support we offer to vulnerable refugees in their time of greatest need. And open the possibility for them to work.
LT: It depends a little bit on what you’re expecting in life.
In 2014, tens of thousands of Central American children and families arrived seeking protection in the U.S. They were unwelcomed by the Obama administration, which housed them in private, for-profit detention centers. Given these conflicts are raging to Europe’s south and east, the exodus to the continent is not going to slow anytime soon. And it’s the closest one. Secondly, I think there is also a case of Mr. Cameron trying to prolong the time. I don’t have any means to judge if the United States can do more. They are people fleeing the rape, torture and murder that our grandparents fought against so that people could live a life free of oppression. We have initiated a donor conference to ensure increased funding for United Nations humanitarian appeal for Syria. And it’s not only Syria. So 10,000 is nothing compared to 1.9.
If tiny Lebanon can receive over 1 million, surely the wealthiest country in the world can follow suit. You can imagine the reality.
While of enormous outcome to the 30,000 additional refugees, these numbers are relatively small when compared with the burden other states shoulder.
The majestic display of compassion and moral responsibility by the German government and a few others has been inspiring. These are not economic migrants looking to improve their financial standing.
The Mediterranean has always been a route through which migrants and refugees have attempted to enter Europe in search of stability, safety and opportunities. That kind of headline should be a given in this crisis – all countries should be doing whatever they can to help mitigate the war’s consequences. There’s no end in sight to the fighting in Syria and no coordinated worldwide effort to resettle the refugees somewhere safe. Migrants are generally extremely entrepreneurial. That shows a predisposition for adventure and initiative.
Advertisement
He says the State Department should beef up its interrogation of refugees.
