What can we do to help all of the refugees coming in from Syria?

[Amandistan]

So Currently there are Refugees form Syria. Thousands of them sitting outside of a park in Belgrade. It's a refugee camp. They are making their way to what they think are the best countries. Germany and the UK.
They go from Greece, through Macedonia  to Serbia. A fellow traveler was just in Belgrade and was bewildered and heartbroken be this site and that their is nothing that we can do to help the situation.

Imagine being at home with your family and fearing for your lives every day? then in desperation you flee even if it will kill you? We don't know how it feels because we are born in safe western countries.

Now Hungary is putting up barb wired fences to keep them out, leaving the Balkan countries to fend for themselves and care for them. Let's face it Balkan countries aren't exactly that well off economically already?  It's incredibly selfish that an EU Hungary expects Serbia, Macedonia and Albania to do this on their own. these countries have their own economic migrants. But clearly the leader of Serbia actually cares about fellow human beings.

Clearly the politicians in western Europe think that there are too many to help but something needs to be done. They can not just be left to die. In a perfect world, The U.S., Canada, Russia and Australia would team up with EU to help these people but they won't get involved. The US and Russia are all about self interest.   

Do you have any ideas of how to help these people? The Serbian leader is directing them to go through Croatia and Bulgaria but what if they build fences? Does anyone know if they are taking volunteers to distribute food or something?   

[ldopas]

Well I can't disagree with a lot of what you post.

But we do seem to get a hell of a lot of flak as the EU. I would add to your Russia sentence, which I agree with. What about the Arabian states, Northern African countries, all of which are nearer that the UK is for example. Logistically and economical it makes more sense to help them there.

Now I know it isn't a competition to see who does most, but we need to widen it much further than the EU I think.

In the end I thought a comment made I heard today on the news from a commentator was good, he said we are mixing up immigration and migration, those two things are very different!

[Pol]

All we can do as individuals without much power is too make as much fuss as possible. Let our governments know that were not happy with the current situation. How much longer is Cameron and co going to sit back and watch people die. Don't pass the buck it's time to step up and do our bit.

[Amandistan]

It's difficult. Asylum speakers escaping for their lives are not typical immigrants. It's also hard to tell the difference of economic migrants and people fleeing for their lives. there are just so many but when I saw the photos from Serbia it really hit hard with me. Of course Serbia is not their final destination. What I don't understand is hear in Romania their is lots of land, not so much money. However the EU are paying for better roads and it's making it look worse. Why not use that money to make a village for asylum seekers? 

Why do they just want Germany and the UK? Why don't they want the balkan counties as well?

[Coumarin]

Europe is in a state of flux it seems at the moment over this, I even heard mr farage on radio 4 say today that great Britain should take its quota of displaced people!

[Master Ray]

I heard someone make a comment today that the US should take some of the brunt of this, seeing as their intervention in the middle east has caused so much of the problem... a country that huge and that wealthy could easily take in a couple of million...

Oh wait, like THAT would ever happen... 

[lotus]

"Why do they just want Germany and the UK? Why don't they want the balkan counties as well?"

Sinti and Roma refugees - they prefer Germany now (still remembering what happened 1935 -45), because they are not welcome in the balkan countries, where they are born and brought up, have to live there under very bad conditions, often victims of crime against their life

Rumania is member of the EU, but what does Rumania do for their own Sinti and Roma living there? This people are not only want to live here in germany to become rich (as members of an EU country they get less money and help than refugees outside EU), they want to be safe and a chance to live without too much discrimination ...

A camp for people from Syria in Rumania and to give them there a chance of a new home - not the best idea to soöve that problems me thinks 

[Amandistan]

But you can't blame the Balkan country's for the nazis genocide.
The truth is they are just as discriminated against in Western Europe. They are known best in europe as thieves. this is the stereotype. In Romania it's not uncommon to be robbed by Roma groups especially in farms. They also tend to blame them for all theft.
There are also still refugees from Kosovo.

I am thinking of where there is Space for them. I don't think Germany can take them all.

[BlackCountryMaggiD]

Good points Amanda about other large, rich nations getting involved and offering assistance to these people. They could almost be my words. This may be a European issue but it's a world crisis and as such all should be pulling together to help.

Maybe write to Obama, your governor, newspapers, radio and tv stations and to your American based friends on Social Media to let taken know what is really going on. It may not make a lot of a difference but it will surf as hell get them some facts.

[Tony S]

It's not really just a European issue, and it has been opened up wider than just the EU. Turkey has taken in 1.9million Syrian refugees so far, the Lebanon 1.2million, and Jordan has taken in thousands too.
We shouldn't fall into the trap of thinking they are all coming to Europe.

[Amandistan]

That is true Tony.

They may or may not have been inspired by a conversation with you Maggi. But something must be done. Obama does not seem to care nor will he read what I have to write. the damn conservatives will just complain about losing jobs to refugees while watching their flat screen tvs. 

[Master Ray]

It appears that Cameron is 'committed' to taking a few thousand Syrians... but what about the rest of them?

I hear that Germany has pledged to take in 800,000 people, no matter where they're from...

[Anna Woman von NRW]

The last few days has brought the issue into tragically bright spotlights. But finally the sheer numbers involved is hitting home. Europe thinks it's being overun but now the numbers of refugess in nearby countries are filtering into wider awareness.  Statistics showing which country (globally) has taken what number of refugess are quite telling - go and ask Mr Google. When you total up the numbers it's quite large!

Now, the rights and wrongs, the different sides, the who did what who caused it and who's worse can be debated forever but I think it's fair to say that what has happened in Syria is at least in part a result of global affairs. As such the global community has a responsibility in this and to me that means the UN.  This isn't about individual countries. Globalization wasn't just about sharing the pot of the gold at the end of the rainbow, it was about taking care of each other too, or it should have been.  So my ha'penny's worth is that the United Nations should step in.

[Master Ray]

Fine words Anna...

[ldopas]

The last few days has brought the issue into tragically bright spotlights. But finally the sheer numbers involved is hitting home. Europe thinks it's being overun but now the numbers of refugess in nearby countries are filtering into wider awareness.  Statistics showing which country (globally) has taken what number of refugess are quite telling - go and ask Mr Google. When you total up the numbers it's quite large!

Now, the rights and wrongs, the different sides, the who did what who caused it and who's worse can be debated forever but I think it's fair to say that what has happened in Syria is at least in part a result of global affairs. As such the global community has a responsibility in this and to me that means the UN.  This isn't about individual countries. Globalization wasn't just about sharing the pot of the gold at the end of the rainbow, it was about taking care of each other too, or it should have been.  So my ha'penny's worth is that the United Nations should step in.

Perfect. Completely agree. Who did what is not relevant. And the castigating of this country is wrong. we have a proud history of taking in refugees. It HAS to be a world solution. Lets not forget, and I did not support the war. in the end Iraq and Libya had an opportunity for democracy and decided for civil warm and religious genocide.