'Europe's Fascination with Fences' is an interesting title for an
article on refugee crisis spilling over in Europe now. The article especially
pulled my attention by its title, like of many others, when I saw it in the
list of chosen articles on Magzter.
Irrespective of 'what, why and how' in the article, the
world, yes the world now, is looking at
the crisis in a different light after the image of the body of a Syrian toddler washed out on a
beach in Turkey went viral. The boy was
from a family of four from Syria trying to migrate to Europe through Greece - the second most popular route as the article says.
Barack Obama just
declared that the US will accept 10,000 Syrian refugees this year. Germany is leading the access in
Europe and the toddler's image has forced countries so far reluctant like the United
Kingdom to come forward. The day the image got out David Cameron said Britain
would accept 20,000 more refugees.
Before it, Britain was in a state of 'xenophobia' on
intensifying refugee crisis.
The image has drawn global attention and outrage over the
way European countries have been handling the biggest refugee crisis since the
World War II.
Because the world 'rightly' doesn't expect anything of that sort from rich Arab and Middle-East monarchies.
People from the war
torn countries of Middle-East and Africa are increasingly joining the way out
to save their lives. Somehow escaping the guns in Syria, Iraq,
Afghanistan, Somalia, Nigeria and other countries, people are heading to the countries in Europe or other nearby countries in ever increasing numbers as the
war in Syria rages and as the Islamic State continues with its barbarity in
Iraq and Syria - finding allies in Boko Haram in Nigeria or Al-Shabab in
Somalia and so on.
It is true that there
would be some economic migrants but the majority is from the lot displaced from
their homes, localities, cities and countries and it is the responsibility of
the humanity to open its doors for the them. After all, some one million (or
even two million) cannot put strain on the wealthiest continent on Earth with
around 750 million people.
They, in fact, can prove quite useful for the European countries which are facing crisis of manpower to serve their populace. Migrants (or refugees in this case), by the their 'disconnectedness from the roots' have noting more to lose and they, in fact, prove out to be industrious and better managed when given opportunities. Prosperous Jews are its most common example.
Fences may be a practical requirement to check illegal crossings but the European population and countries need to remove the fences that xenophobic sentiments can create/are creating in this humanitarian crisis. And as, the refugees, are responsibility of all of us, we all must reach out to them with helping hands - as the US has decided to do.
©/IPR: Santosh Chaubey - http://severallyalone.blogspot.com/
