We’re all familiar with the shock horror images and videos of what life has become for people in places like Syria but are we really aware of it all? Do we know what the consequences are for us and the rest of the world, including the refugees themselves?
There has been an ongoing discussion about refugees entering Europe and the effect this will have on each individual country. It’s true that most people are extremely wary of the whole thing however most are concerned about this assumed threat of terrorism. Setting aside these rising ISIS suspicions and the belief that some of the refugees could be a part of the Islamic State, people are forgetting about the economic effect the large influx of people could have on European countries. Refugees will need to be supported both physically and financially and for countries who are already struggling, such as Ireland, this may lead to further problems within the economy.
While it’s true to say that people fear what they do not understand, we cannot ignore this reality. Of course European governments have openly welcomed refugees but it seems unclear to the common people whether governments have made sufficient provisions to ensure that each country does not collapse. Alarmingly, this could lead to the government’s inability to support both national and non-nationals. What happens then? By this time, the state funds which have overly supported the refugees will no longer be available and refugees will be forced to support themselves in a country which is still relatively alien to them. They will face problems finding jobs, securing housing and inevitably, will be blamed for the economic crisis.
It seems as though European governments have made no official plans to try and integrate the refugees into communities in which they are placed but instead, isolate them even further. By doing so, these people will never regain their individual identity and will know nothing other than governmental assistance.
The solution? I don’t claim to be political but I do take pride in being a very realistic person. I believe that refugees should not be supported entirely but instead be scaffolded until the time comes when they can sufficiently support themselves. This meaning, refugees should be expected to work within the country which is supporting them, allowing themselves to become integrated into the community.
Result? Again, I’m not a psychic politician, just realistic and practical!
I believe that with this approach, host countries will have a much better chance of remaining economically stable while still semi-supporting the refugees. With this, refugees will eventually become self-sufficient and national citizens will live their lives as normal within their own country.
