Europe's Immigration Crisis Highlights its Rigid Humanitarian Qualities

 by Edel O'Shea

Last week The Guardian highlighted, quite shockingly, Poland’s lack of willingness to help with Europe’s current refugee and migrant crisis. One reason noted for their harsh reluctance to assist with the latest influx of human suffering was a lack of understating surrounding immigrants and the general consensus was a population that simply didn’t want them in their country.

This could suggest a lack of government support or willingness to educate in the areas of equality and solidarity concerning humans in mass crisis and suffering. If a vast majority of the populace feels intolerance or even hatred towards a struggling group of non-nationals surely it’s time for collective rewiring through educational intervention and campaigning on a large scale to combat this anti-human mind-set.   

In May 2004, when Poland joined the EU, Ireland was among only 3 EU countries accepting Polish workers along with the UK and Sweden. It has been noted how beneficial EU membership has been to Poland and Western EU member States are suggesting Poland should give back by assisting with the current crisis.   

So Poland, whether you understand them or not or you feel you are not prepared you must at least make attempts to summon the basics of human nature and open your borders to those in need. This is not just a political issue it’s a spiritually driven ethical one too pertaining to the safeguarding of man in an equal arena of justice. 

Poland is a small example in a long list of offending countries, all of which have turned their backs, to some greater or lesser extent, on their fellow man, and so it would seem that humanity is defined and measured by strict adherences that don’t stretch to meet the needs of all those struggling in the midst of a humanitarian crisis.

The EU is attempting to cope with an unforeseen flow of refugees from the Middle East and Africa and given the encompassing European feeling of failure towards these refugees and migrants this could well be our biggest test in our ability to look after one another on the most basic human level. 

In order to fully equip the crisis with financial and logistical aid we must imagine a world that exists without borders and alliances if we are to complete our missions of kindness and equality for all and in particular those currently in distress whether on the Mediterranean or elsewhere.

One hopes that implementing an aid programme to our newest refugees without exceptions and boundaries is not a cause that exists solely on the peripherals of a utopian society but one that mirrors a common declaration of care, decency and compassion for our fellow man.

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1 Leszcynski, A. (2015). Poles don’t want immigrants. They don’t understand them, don’t like them. (July 2, 2015) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/02/poles-dont-want-immigrants-they-dont-understand-them-dont-like-them  Retrieved July 6 2015

2 Leszcynski, A. (2015). Poles don’t want immigrants. They don’t understand them, don’t like them. (July 2, 2015) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/02/poles-dont-want-immigrants-they-dont-understand-them-dont-like-them  Retreived July 6, 2015

3 Sherwood, H. (2014). Ten years on and Poles are glad to call Britain home. (April 26 2014) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/26/polish-immigration-britain-cities-elections Retrieved July 6 2015.

4 Leszcynski, A. (2015). Poles don’t want immigrants. They don’t understand them, don’t like them. (July 2, 2015) Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/02/poles-dont-want-immigrants-they-dont-understand-them-dont-like-them  Retrieved July 6 2015

5 Irish Independent (2015). Portrait of the Week – Number of refugees coming to Europe soars by 80pc  (July 5 2015). Available at: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/portrait-of-the-week-number-of-refugees-coming-to-europe-soars-by-80pc-31352299.html Retrieved July 6 2015.  

6 Amnesty International (2015) Amnesty’s International “Blueprint for Action” to end refugee and migrant deaths in the Med (April 22 2015). Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/04/amnesty-international-s-blueprint-for-action-to-end-refugee-and-migrant-deaths-in-the-med/ Retrieved July 6 2015.