Last semester, I wrote an article about the tragic deaths of hundreds of immigrants from Northern Africa and the Middle East traveling by boat attempting to reach Italy. I decided to complete a follow-up article about this problem because it leaves an effect on so many lives. Gaining a better sense of what people experience in order to escape their homelands in search of safety and even a higher chance of success is difficult to imagine at times. Traveling to Europe, and most often Western Europe for many has a “promise land” feel to those who one day aspire to reach these lands. I believed months ago we were beginning to witness a growing epidemic that had to be deeply examined before it worsened. Almost 60 million people have been migrating and fleeing their home countries, creating a record amount of displaced people in the world, according to recent figures released by the United Nations. Half of the displaced have been children.
It seems my hypothesis ended up being right and thousands of people are still risking their lives each day. I see videos and images in the news of small children who don’t have a say in the turmoil that lies behind them at home and the uncertainty that awaits in Europe. Many find unemployment and poverty still rampant for them upon reaching many European countries. Some citizens and countries have been welcoming, although, growing hostility continues toward these newcomers. I watched one video showing a Hungarian television camerawoman caught on camera kicking and tripping migrants as they were crossing the Hungarian-Serbian border. Luckily she was fired, but even that does not fully seem to be enough to shine a light on the hatred and animosity towards many refugees and migrants. Hungary’s Prime Minister has urged workers to speed up in building a fence to deter migrants from crossing into the country, according to Business Insider. I don’t believe this is a viable solution because when people face desperation, they will often do things to overcome the obstacle that lies waiting.
According to Yahoo News, on Tuesday United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officials issued a warning to Hungary that they should expect about 42,000 more refugees within the next 10 days and they would be in need of assistance from other countries in order to provide shelter to those who come near its border. Germany has been accepting the highest amount of refugees and migrants so far and expects to take in around 800,000 this year. Poland’s Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz stated her country would only accept those who have no hostility towards Poland or its mostly Roman Catholic citizens and that there would be some difficulty for many of the Muslim refugees to integrate. Many citizens and leaders view the increasing amounts of refugees as an invasion and threat to their country’s future. Allowing for more refugees would be a Trojan horse for the European Union. I applaud people like Pope Francis who urge Catholic families to assist refugees in their time of need. Also, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, says refugees from Syria would be welcomed into his city. Even Finland’s Prime Minister who happens to be a millionaire who claims that he would allow refugees into his home. These are just a few of the many that are willing to present some solutions to the many problems revolving the refugee and migration problem. Although there is no perfect answer, I still urge more cooperation between governments, even with the United States to assist this problem that affects the world as a whole. The cost to reach new opportunities shouldn’t be paid with countless lives lost.
