Monday, 19 October 2015

My views on the migrant crisis in Europe

Recently, we saw everywhere on the news and television about the mass migration of people entering Europe. The effects of the civil war in countries such as Syria and Iraq particularly resulted in their people seeking asylum in European countries hoping to get a better life. This was after a heart-braking picture of a little boy drifted ashore on the coast of Turkey prompting urgent response worldwide particularly in Europe.
I feel that the migration issue has to be tackled from the core and that is the civil unrest in the affected countries at first. The problem of the Middle East right now is having too many groups fighting each other. We’ve seen many airstrikes by the US and its allies but why does the current situation in Syria and Iraq still persists? The US and its allies continues to provide arms for the Free Syrian Army rebels who are fighting against the Syrian government but I feel that does not solve the current issue quickly. By the day, there seems to be more and more splinter group operating in the area and the best way to tackle this is by having troops on the ground and I mean REAL soldiers. Turkey and Saudi Arabia can send their own troops to fight the Syrian government rather than handing money and weapons to these fighters who are not guaranteed to sustain in the long run.
As for Europe, it is good to see some countries like Germany and the UK inviting these asylum seekers a place to settle down. No doubt that these migrants will have a better life than their homeland. However, I understand that having too many foreigners can be a problem. Dilution of local culture can happen and many Europeans in particular are proud of their heritage and history. Not long after, countries like Hungary have sealed off their borders to prevent more influx of migrants. As much as I support the European countries allowing these migrants to settle in their lands, I feel the migrants can be there temporarily rather than permanent. This way, Europe will still keep its identity and once the situation gets better in the Middle East, the migrants can return home bringing along useful skills that they can use to build their country back up.
However, whether the situation in the Middle East improves in the near future remains to be seen. Otherwise, the migrants are going to have a new problem to deal with In their new home….

1 comment:

  1. Thank you, Mubin, for taking the time to reflect on this crisis. You touch on many of the key issues, including the way that various outside parties, including the US and Saudi Arabia, have added fuel to the fire of conflict. You even mention how culturally accepting migrants can be a difficult issue.

    As I read this I wonder if Singapore had plans to accept any refugees. It certainly has no responsibility to do so, but with the constant calls from some quarters for increasing the population, that would be a source of people.

    In any case, I appreciate your effort here!

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