Immigration and The Refugee Crisis

Immigration and the movement of refugees have risen to become a large ethical dilemma for all of Europe. Many migrants are coming to Europe from very dangerous places mostly from Africa or the Middle East. These migrants are wanting to come to  Europe to escape these dangers. However, many Europeans are not wanting them to come into the European Union (E.U.). This poses the ethical question: how should the E.U. handle the influx in immigration, and refugees, to Europe coming from different regions? 

Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer of how the E.U. should handle the large wave of immigrants. One side wants to take all the immigrants and deport them out of the E.U. if they did not come in legally. However, as seen in the Netherlands, a Dutch church is choosing not to end their service for weeks to save an immigrant family because police can not legally halt a religious service. The family has been fleeing the police because they believe they would be in danger if they went back to Armenia. The reason that many are supporting this church is that they do not believe it is ethical to deport someone back to clear and present danger. 

In addition, there is an anti-immigration movement in Hungary. There are many images going around the country framing Muslim migrants are violent people that are clearly false. This brings up the idea that ideas in the media and online shape many native Europeans' perspectives. If many Europeans view the immigrants as violent people or people that are going to take their jobs then they will not allow them in and, possibly, anti-Islamic will grow. The anti-immigration movement is putting pressure on not let any migrant inside the E.U. even if they are seeking asylum which should be seen as unethical. 

Overall, the E.U. has an immigration crisis and two very different sides that are generating support. There is an ethical responsibility to save people from the dangers of their home countries.  For the E.U. to handle the immigrants that coming for better lives they need to generate support and prove that is the ethically responsible thing to do. However, it will be difficult to generate support for helping migrants when false information and false impressions are in the minds of many Europeans.

 

Articles referenced:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/dutch-bethel-church-refugees-deportation-hague-tamrazyan-family-armenia-immigration-a8677141.html

http://abouthungary.hu/blog/hungarians-oppose-immigration-want-to-preserve-european-christian-culture-and-we-have-our-reasons/