I don't know about the refugee issues in your countries. In my town we render every possible assistence. They currently live in former barracks and gyms. They have to be medically checked and they receive a little cash money and toys and clothes are availabe. They have to be transported to the public health and social assistance office and to hospitals and back. They need permanent residences. It's difficult in cities like Munich where accomodations are expensive. No violence yet here in my town. Hopefully it remains calm and peaceful.
There's trouble in Budapest, with the police barring refugees from entering the train station. Apparently, they're not allowed to leave (most want to travel to Germany). Something which I can only describe as despicable is, that the German train company Deutsche Bahn sold tickets to many of those refugees, knowing they would not be able to use them. Theoretically the refugees are able to return the tickets and get their money back, but for that, they have to get to the counter of the Deutsche Bahn travel office, which is inside the train station the refugees are not allowed to enter.
And there might be language issues. I had my difficulties with my group of refugees today I had to guide through the administrative office... They don't speak German of course and only a little English.
Hungarian camera woman (tv camera operator) kicks refugee children and father...... Unbelievable. She lost her job. In our town: refugee child fell out of a window in a refugee camp building - dead. Only bad news these days........
Not particually, Germany is allowing an unpresidented number of Refugees into the Country which is brilliant and Juncker has said that all European nations need to do there bit, again, brilliant. Myself and the wife will be going through our clothes tomorrow to see if any can be used to help and donated, we're also going on a march/walk to show solidarity against the closed mindedness of some leaders on Saturday.
In my town the need clothes for people between 14 and 22. And these peopla are mostly skinny. Most Germans are chubby. Tomorrow I will help at a gym where they currently live. Washing machines have to be checked and powder has to be handed out. They get medical checks, radiological examinations and so on.
But don't let Merkel fool you. It was her government which pushed the EU into the Dublin Regulation, which stated that refugees must stay in the EU member country in which they entered the EU, making the problem one of Italy, Spain, Greece and Hungary, and basically making it almost impossible for refugees to come legally to Germany. The German government has also always pushed for patrolling the mediteranian with armed forces to catch refugee ships and send them back to their point of origin. The German government also still doesn't offer a way to officially request asylum from outside of Germany, resulting in those gangs smuggling them here illegally. I hope I don't have to remind anybody how many deaths were caused by this in the past six months alone. Merkel is just trying to save face. We have to make her (and all the other governments of the First World) actually change the official policies, making it possible for refugees to request asylum while still being in North Africa (and loosening regulations, so that less people are refused because of pure technicalities).
Is the more wealthy countries in the middle east taking in any refugees ? They are near to the area of conflict.
Thomas Piketty weighed in on the refugee question. French Original. English. I really like Piketty and it's a good piece but it's also a bit bizarre that people so often focus on the economic question. Basically wondering how we can use the situation for our benefit. On the other hand this might be the only way to convince some people that it's a good idea to let the refugees in. To be fair many people have realized that we just need to help for ethical reasons. Despite all the problems Germany is actually setting an example here and I hope other European countries will follow. The UK's stance so far has been pretty disgusting.
Surely you realize they are part of the reason the conflict has spiraled out of control in Syria in the first place.
Sadly there are ingrateful people among the refugees: food is too bad, the can't sleep, too little cash money for cigarettes.... No wonder that local people get angry about the use of their tax money. Having to live at close quarters takes its toll. So far no bigger security issues at the gym (which is 20 kilometers from the responsible social welfare office).
Picking those very isolated problems and presenting them here reminds me a lot of right-wing populism, sorry.
One might imagine that people - many of whom were formerly middle class - forced to leave their homes, their towns, and everything familiar to them to make a harrowing journey over thousands of miles, often only with the clothes on their backs, might be inclined to occasionally be grumpy about minor issues.
Let's be real: 1) Any option you come up with that involves actual racial tolerance in a context of democratic freedom will in fact be liberal multiculturalism. 2) In any case, any option you come up with that does not involve xenophobic racism will be denounced as "liberal multiculturalism" that "does not work" by right-wing populists no matter what the details are, because they tend to be unscrupulous grifters who are not exactly known for honesty or realism. And this will be eaten up by (elements of) the white working class which above all often yearns for people in power to sympathize with its usually irrational and disproportionate fear of foreigners (this really is what "the politicians and the academics don't pay attention to us" is usually code for); this is the principle the Republicans in the US have used to fleece their white working class for over four and a half decades and still going strong. It's fair to say that an explicitly, aggressively political leftism is desperately needed in the world today to counteract proto-fascists and neo-fascists. But any version of that you get that also hates "liberal multiculturalism" will be a cure worse than the disease. If you really don't like xenophobia and you prefer not to live under dictatorship, you are a liberal multiculturalist. Understand it, embrace it, fight for it. If you want while doing so to critique neoliberal multiculturalism, which is strictly concerned with providing warm worker-bodies for capitalist enterprise, then that's different.
As I have already added: the live at close quarters with almost no private sphere. So I can relate to them getting annoyed and angry over "minor" problems. I just don't like people talking about endless tolerance who are not really involved in charity work for those people. Confined living conditions are taking a toll on everyone involved. Besides IMO smoking is an addiction and the people are stressed. They are still in a local gym. Until further notice. And then in collective accommodations. Subsidized housing is lacking.....
Calaid have a branch in Bath (sorry about the Facebook link, they don't seem to have a dedicated website), not sure if you know the city, but where they are is by the Morrisons on London Road and it turns out they're really only after mens clothes, boots and camping gear right now. Will you be attending the walk/march on Saturday in Bristol? Yeah, I'm sure they're a very small minority.
Obama is now saying the US will be bringing in 10,000 Syrians "at least" in 2016, while Kerry is saying he'd like to see it go as high as 100,000. I hope America welcomes quite a number of them and we do our share of helping.
I hope that many rich American actors are going to do charity work and fund raising including building homes where they can live peacefully. A gym is not a permanent solution. Some of the refugees are young intelligent men who are eager to learn and to integrate. Others prefer to keep to themselves. As to preventing discontent, many projects are created to keep them occupied: soccer, meetings, cybercafé, childcare.... Trying to get the malcontents involved in social activities could be one possibility to help them pass the time.