Imaan Khan, Year 12
Today, asylum seekers seem to be what every news channel is talking about. With countries such as Austria and Slovenia planning to put up fences to “stem the flow of migrants” and stories of just how badly asylum seekers have been treated upon reaching Europe, the question people seem to be asking is: just what are we supposed to do with all these refugees? Certain European countries claim that taking in these asylum seekers will have a negative impact on their society or that the asylum seekers should simply fix the problems of their country and return. One year 9 student says “I think all European countries should get together, help them [asylum seekers] and accept them into their country”.
It must not be forgotten that asylum seeking is an extremely common phenomenon; every time there have been major conflicts or wars, there have been asylum seekers. However, in the current situation, it seems that countries’ own interests surpass the need to help fellow human beings who have lost everything. A year 13 student says: “I think that privilege comes with responsibility and that, therefore, governments should do everything in their power to aid the people who are seeking help”. It is true that the majority of European countries to which refugees are arriving have a significantly more stable environment, both economically and conflict wise. However, many European countries seem to be concerned with the radicalization of young refugees. This topic seems to be one of great significance to the students of LGB; one student from year 12 says: “ I think taking refugees is what all of these countries should do; they should also integrate them into society rather than isolating which could lead to conflict in the future”.
(Syrian refugee camp in Jordan)
People showing up at the borders of these European countries have left all they have ever known behind them and have risked travelling for weeks, maybe even months, into the unknown in hopes of a better life. Many of these people have had their family members murdered and their home towns destroyed. All this has an extreme emotional and psychological impact; for refugee to be mistreated and have their hopes crushed upon reaching Europe must be devastating. One year 11 student shared her opinion concerning the issue: “I think that since the countries in Europe are so developed, they can afford to give these people the basics such as food, water, etc. considering the fact that, any day, a problem could occur in their own country and they might have to seek asylum”. This is completely true! Many countries never expect such disasters to occur and, thus, are caught off guard without a plan in response . The same student also said that “the asylum seekers are not asking for much and many of them are prepared to work, so I believe the government should give them the basics until they manage to obtain a secure job”.
Despite the mistreatment of many asylum seekers, many organisations such as the Red Cross and the UN have stationed teams at the borders of countries such as Jordan, Lebanon and Germany who hand out food and blankets and communicate with the asylum seekers about how to move forward.
No situation should be looked at in isolation, meaning the causes of this issue and possible consequences must be taken into account when discussing the “migrant crisis”. Whether or not you think these people should be accepted and looked after by the governments of the respective countries, we must remember the difficulties these men, women and children have endured and the affects it has had on them. We must recall our sense of humanity and help out those who happen to be less fortunate at this time, as we never know where the next crisis will arise and will most probably wish that, if we were in a similar situation, we would be well received.
If you feel like you don’t know enough about this issue, make sure you read about it to learn more, and if you need advice on the best way to go about doing so or if it’s even important, go check out the article on “The Importance of Knowing”. If you know how you feel about the issue and want to help out, look into local organizations dedicated to facilitating the lives of asylum seekers and find out what you can do to support them.
