As a modern, educated woman I have a lot of political views and opinions, and I feel that as a socially aware human I cannot discuss refugees issue any longer.
A refugee is a person who has no other choice but to flee their own country, often running from violence, prosecution and war, to survive.
Unfortunately, a lot of the far right wing media seems to forget that the refugees are people, not the monsters trying to get to the European Union country to live off benefits.
Refugees from Syria or Afghanistan are not extremists, terrorists or ISIS recruits (a terrorist is a terrorist, not a refugee), just like not all Polish people drink vodka (I’m a perfect example of one who doesn’t) and not all English people behave like savage drunk animals when they go to Spain.
The difference between us from the Western World and the refugees at the moment is that we were born in developed, secured countries and they were born in a country torn by war, often fuelled by foreign powers, which profit from that very war.
We all should remember that a person doesn’t consciously decide to become a refugee ‘cos this is the “easiest” option. There is nothing easy in fleeing your native country from violence, starvation and almost certain death. Do you think all those doctors, lawyers and teachers wanted to become refugees, wanted to leave their own countries, friends and families and go to the unknown, often very hostile environment to work as labourers? If you seriously do, think again. Would you, yourself risk your livelihood and lives of your children for the uncertain hope of claiming benefits in Germany or Sweden or die on the way? Rather not.
One becomes a refugee when all the other options have been exhausted. It’s a difficult decision especially in the current political climate and general disregard and disrespect towards people who are different than the white, heterosexual, perfectly Christian male.
Throughout our history people, tribes, whole towns and villages migrated from one place to another. So the concept of migrating isn’t new. Migration often was caused by starvation and fear (connected to war and food shortages), so the notion of large groups of people moving from one place to another is not a modern invention. Yes, there are more people alive than ever before, so consequently, the movement of people is going to be larger than ever before.
Refugees (from many different countries) are people who currently need our help, and this is what we humans do, we help one another, and that help gets us all through hardships.