Let me tell you about a baby called Bayan.
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Europe’s gross failure over the years to deal with the refugee crisis is a challenge for each and every one of us. This is the conversation the whole world needs to have right now.
I always felt proud and privileged to be a EU citizen with an Irish passport who happens to live in Italy, so I should be celebrating.
But I am dejected.
Let me tell you why.
I want to introduce you to a baby called Bayan who was born about three weeks ago in Samos,Greece, in the EU. Her Syrian mother gave birth there after a harrowing escape from the war and a dangerous journey to Greece via Turkey. The image of that baby being washed in a puddle in a refugee camp went viral. Just one of the 14,000 “inhabitants” in the Idomeni refugee camp.
The Cyprus News sent the following tweet:
Humanity should be ashamed. A newborn refugee baby is washed in the muddy waters of Idomeni. Cyprus News, March 11, 2016
Just another heart-breaking story to archive. Let’s not forget the thousands of others who have drowned in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. Another piece in the tragic mosaic of the European Union where refugees and asylum seekers are barred, fenced in, feared, and neglected.
The EU is one of the most prosperous and peaceful continents on the planet. It has open borders, free movement of people, an internal single market, monetary union, and 28 nations more or less living in harmony, peace and prosperity.
University students on the Erasmus exchange schemes around Europe. Yet the 500 million Europeans cannot even cope with 1 million refugees (40% of them children) fleeing war, death, and destruction. Their leaders wrangle and squabble about quotas, emergency aid, identification procedures, and humanitarian assistance.
They cannot agree on any measure which will make life tolerable and decent for their fellow human beings. They cannot decide on an immigration policy that is workable and fair.
“Solidarity must be strengthened to welcome new refugees and protect the
human rights of immigrants.”– EU immigration portal
Individual nations such as Bulgaria, Austria and Hungary have taken action. Their solution is to erect barbed wire, walls, and fences.
So much for the free movement of people.
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2.20 p.m. I tap my smartphone for the latest news. This is the headline:
Refugees—EU Leaders set for tense talks over deal with Turkey—Leaders meet in Brussels to agree details of plan to stop refugees and migrants coming to Europe but many have issues with deal.
◊♦◊“I’m a child and might not know much but I believe treating people disrespectfully for being born on the other side of the planet is called: RACISM.” – An immigrant child wrote this on her placard as she attempted to reach safety.
Turkey will receive no special favours in its drive to join the EU despite being the key to solving Europe’s refugee crisis.
I switch channels and am confronted with the ridiculously insulting ad for cat food.I have suddenly lost my appetite.
Now you know why I am ashamed to be European.
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Photo: Mikhail Esteves/Flickr
Y’all didn’t answer my question on why these home grown terrorist are coming to be. Obviously something in the community is driving it. Here in the US we have outside recruiters pulling in Muslim kid . So why? Count on the fingers on one hand how many far right terrorists you’ve seen. Bet you have fingers left over. But there’s quite a few wannabes and they need to be rooted out too. Enrico. We’re not talking about risk of going down in an airliner. Or hit by lightning. Or winning the lottery. We’re talking about a sub group of a… Read more »
There are a lot of caring people like yourself who would open there homes and take in a family. How many do you have at your house?
I don’t think I would be allowed to take a family as there are all the asylum/refugees procedures (UN + EU) to be followed. What I was really trying to put across is that the EU has resources and facilities to make sure that ALL these people are given proper accommodation and have their cases assessed fairly. As I wrote above:- “Their ( EU) leaders wrangle and squabble about quotas, emergency aid, identification procedures, and humanitarian assistance. They cannot agree on any measure which will make life tolerable and decent for their fellow human beings. They cannot decide on an… Read more »
That’s a very myopic viewpoint Robert. Far right American terrorist should be rounded up too. Who’s saying that shouldn’t be? But your article is not about them so shouldn’t be brought in with this article. Yes Brussels etc are so called home grown. But just as late as one generation ago that too were immigrants. So your point is what? That no more home grown immigrants will come from these masses? And why then did these grateful immigrants develop in their culture to now homegrown terrorists.
Btw. I’m not ashamed one but. The European and folks like you are calling for tolerance of a people who seriously want to kill you. That you can’t separate the ones who do from those who don’t is not a reason to just say what the he’ll and let them all in so you can feel good. Until you don’t or worse yet until you don’t at all.
How about the far right extremists in the USA who caused more deaths than the jihadistsi terrorists (again , all homegrown terrorists, born and bred in the USA , and not one of them a recent immigrant?!) You might care to look at the figures here:-
http://securitydata.newamerica.net/extremists/deadly-attacks.html
The sole problem Robert is while you’re goals are true the rammed terrorists are using them for their aims. That will in the end negate your very point. As Brussels and Paris and London explode and btw they will, where in the world do you think will happen to the others whom didn’t turn over their traitorous brethren because of this so called bond of religion.
Well Mark, it is a fact that the terrorist attacks in Brussels and Paris were all carried out by the so called “homegrown terrorists” so litte or no risk from masses of immigrants seeking safety from terror and destruction.
Well Mark, I think a bit of more rational thinking would be called for. The risks of being killed while crossing the road or while attending to an innocent occupation at home are far, far higher than being killed in a terrorist attack, in a nuclear accident or in an earthquake. We are not scared by what we suppose we can control, but we are wrong, as everyone can see by just checking the number of deaths resulting from street or home accidents; in Italy, where I am writing from, in the last 10 years there have been about 80,000… Read more »