Author: James Traub
Affiliation: Foreign Policy and Non-resident Fellow at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation
Organization/Publisher: Foreign Policy
Date/Place: March 21, 2022/USA
Type of Literature: Opinion Article
Word Count: 1996
Link: https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/21/ukraine-refugees-europe-hyporcrisy-syria//
Keywords: Europe, Refugees, Syrians, Ukrainians, Racism
Brief:
The article reveals Europe’s refugee hypocrisy referring to the difference of experience of Ukrainian and Syrian refugees. The author begins by discussing the shocking contrast between the brutality meted out to Syrian refugees who tried to enter Eastern Europe in 2015 and the willing, even eager, acts of self-sacrifice toward the 3 million and counting Ukrainians who have poured into Poland and neighboring countries. The author says that it was unreasonable to expect a French city with a high unemployment rate to accept Ukrainian refugees who may compete for scarce job opportunities. On the other hand, a large portion of eastern Poland, which has become a Syrian refugee hotspot, is an industrial wasteland. The discontent with unintended consequences of globalization, such as mass migration and refugee flight, is a political fact. Shortly after the Syrian refugee crisis began in 2015, German Chancellor Angela Merkel struck a deal with Turkey to halt the flow of refugees, fearful that her government would lose public support. Thus, universalism regarding refugees is doomed. However, a system that is both humane and just is possible to design. More emphasis is needed on what refugees truly require than on doctrinal purity. For instance, some migration experts argue that refugees have the right to seek refuge in their preferred location. However, the law recognizes only a right to seek refuge in the first country. Most refugees, whether they are Syrians in Turkey or Afghans in Pakistan, desire more. The average refugee spends ten years abroad. Apart from physical protection, Paul Collier and Alexander Betts argue in Refuge: Rethinking Refugee Policy in a Changing World that refugees have a right to “autonomy” enabled by work and education, as well as a path back to their homes when it is safe to do so. Alternatively, we can restrict some rights while expanding others. Refugees, such as the Ukrainians, flee to and remain in a neighboring state. In contrast to migrants, refugees wish to return home and remain nearby. The acrimonious debate over whether European countries should accept Middle Eastern refugees was indicative of a failed response.
By: Maryam Khan, CIGA Research Associate
