A WAKING CALL FOR EUROPE Lately, President Francois Hollande has called for a radical overhaul of Europe’s border security policies. He even warned that Europe was under the treat of returning to the age of “barbed wire and fences” if demands for major security reforms were not met. Let us face it! We are doing less than enough to improve security within the Schengen area. Instead, one might say that we are creating more problems. The deconstruction of the European Union doesn’t even seem too far-fetched anymore.
We are creating chaos. That is the only word which can be used to describe the disturbing images of hungry, barefoot children wandering around lost and often alone in the village of Idomeni. Or, the agony in their parents’ eyes when they realise that they can do nothing more than wait, while spending their nights in tiny, miserably cold tents – if there are any tents left-. The future for them is as uncertain as the safety of the food they have been eating.
In any case, what do we do? Do we just accept the decision of the European Union to block the roads for the immigrants, something which may –and this has not been proven- also lead to fewer terrorist attacks? Well, we can only do that if we conveniently ignore the fact that we are dealing with actual human beings, with needs and feelings.
So, should we deal with the refugee crisis in a humane way, and also find ways to ensure security, or should we just view it as “bump in the road� and tackle it without using empathy? I think the answer is obvious for everyone who does not lack basic human emotions. th
Marina Economides, 16 September 2016