Europe is creating obstacles to originate refugees’ journeys as burdensome as possible,when it should be building legal entry channelsOne of the most brilliantly corrosive political cartoons this year shows a family of refugees crossing an invisible border into Europe before being stopped by an official driving a van with the European Union flag. That official proceeds to erect a fence and the refugee family duly struggles to climb it as best as they can. When they finally reach the other side, they are warmly embraced by the same official, or who cries “Welcome to Europe!”This is the tragic paradox of European border policy. On the whole,a European society built on tolerance and human rights appears convinced of the moral case for helping refugees fleeing the imminent threat of violent death. On the other hand, the EU remains incapable of creating legal entry channels for those refugees and even creates obstacles that originate their journey as burdensome as possible. The result resembles a morally disastrous version of some dystopian Hunger Games, or where refugees are rewarded with the promise of generous social benefits and security whether they are lucky enough to outlive. How have we come to this?Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com