The crisis related to the unprecedented number of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe over the past few months is not a temporary phenomenon and requires responses from governments, European institutions, and European citizens that are commensurate with the humanitarian, social, and economic challenges it represents.
If Europe, once a land of emigration, has been a favored destination for decades for all those who, starting with citizens of its former colonies, sought a better future, it is now primarily sought after by those who, Syrians, Libyans, Eritreans, or Iraqis, are fleeing persecution and war.
Wars in which European countries have played a role – either through intervention or indifference. They thus bear a responsibility, if not legal and/or moral.
Indeed, among the tens of thousands of people knocking on Europe’s doors, there are economic migrants, in search of work and a better situation for themselves and their families.
They should not be confused with refugees, but should benefit from simplified reception procedures through EU offices in the concerned countries. And above all, they should benefit from a better image within public opinion.
For this, European political leaders should stop conveying the idea that economic immigration is a threat to our well-being and our welfare state: several studies demonstrate, with numbers to back it up, quite the opposite.
Would they threaten our civilization and culture? They are well-anchored and solid enough – and they are already quite well exported elsewhere.
It may not be easy in times of economic crisis, but by definition, it is up to leaders to lead their fellow citizens, not to follow the crowd’s impulses. And to face this and defend what is right, it takes stature and vision, something our current leaders sorely lack. The negotiations around refugee quotas recently provided yet another proof of this. I
The values that characterize our continent – humanism and solidarity – still carry weight.
These are the values that pushed the proponents of European unity to set aside their grievances and particular interests after the carnage of the Second World War to create a collective that became the world’s leading economic power and a social model for the entire world, ensuring peace among its members.
