Perhaps the most prevalent and contemporary human rights issue is that of refugees and immigration. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there were over a million migrants arriving in Europe by sea in 2015 alone. While these migrants are escaping war-torn countries, they often arrive in Europe only to be treated inhumanely, as though they had never left their conflict-ridden home country in the first place. As soon as migrants reach Europe, they are detained, sometimes in prisons. While the migrants are supposedly kept in separate areas of the prison, they still interact with criminals during meal time and recreation time, if the migrants are lucky to get any time outside at all.
Some migrants do not have beds to sleep in, even though some are detained for up to 18 months. The detention centers are dirty, overcrowded, and there is little food or water for the migrants. The migrants cannot complain because no one is on their side- the workers of the centers are the ones treating them badly and the governments do not want migrants in their countries to begin with. Some migrants have their passports taken and are separated from their families. Unaccompanied minors can be detained for months, even though no migrant is legally allowed to be detained for more than six weeks. But no one cares about the law when it comes to migrants because they are viewed as criminals and a nuisance to society.
There is a difference between someone leaving their country to take advantage of the welfare system in Europe, and someone who is fleeing Syria. Although almost everyone knows what ISIS is, they do not know the intricacies of the Syrian conflict. They do not know that the president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, has arguably been just as cruel as ISIS and that he is still technically in power. They do not know that there are groups fighting on all sides: ISIS, Assad's forces, Syrian rebels, and various Kurdish groups, among others. They do not know that women, men, and children are systematically kidnapped, raped, and tortured; men forced to rape their daughters and brothers forced to rape their sisters. Perhaps if everyone knew this, we would be more welcoming to these people who have seen things humans should never have to see, and who have experienced things that no one should ever have to experience.
But Syria isn't the only country that is ravished by war. Several African countries have experienced conflict and severe human rights violations for years, such as Somalia and Eritrea. But no country cares to take in these asylum seekers. No country cares about the well-being of these marginalized peoples. Of course, the conflicts in these countries need to be resolved and a proper government put into place, but this will not happen anytime soon. We cannot sit back and say that this is Africa's issue. It is a human issue. But politics has made this into a security issue. It is true that migrants need to be screened, because although the vast majority pose no threat, there are always people that will take advantage of the most vulnerable. However, instead of not allowing any migrants into the country (read: Donald Trump's comments about banning Muslims from the United States), governments should improve screening processes. Yes, this costs more money and is more tedious, but how much is a human life worth?
Recently, the United Kingdom decided that it would not accept 3,000 children because it viewed this action as a "pull factor," or something that would encourage migrants to come to Europe, or otherwise enable them. What the government failed to realize is that the proposal was mainly for children already in Europe- the ones stuck in detention centers in Greece. The UK ignored this fact and chose to cater to their own national interest instead of helping innocent children in need of an advocate. The UK had the chance to make a difference, but instead fell back on their political ways. To the UK, these children were seen as taking up too much resources and money. But how much is a human life worth?
We live in an increasingly globalized world. People drive German and Japanese cars, listen to American music, wear clothing made in China, and eat food imported from various countries such as Latin America. We cannot be isolated from each other, it is impossible. No matter how much pride we may have for our respective countries, this pride cannot overshadow our value for human rights. Yes, these migrants have a different culture than us and they will act in a way that we might deem as "weird," but we are just as "weird" to them. There is no "normal" culture, however much the West believes this true.
The world is in a crisis right now, and no one seems to know how to solve it. We are all scared: the asylum seekers, the citizens in Europe and America, and the governments. But we are all human beings and we all have the ability to relate to each other in this way. We understand how human beings should be treated, and we know what injustice looks like. Governments need to put their national pride on the back burner during this refugee crisis and instead save it for the next football game. Citizens in the West need to realize that they will have to interact with people from other cultures and that the world is actually a better place when we do come together (shocker: you learn so much more).
Just think for a second. You are in your village and there are bombs going off every day. There is little access to any food or water, and leaving your village to buy supplies is extremely risky because you don't know if you will make it back home. Your family has been kidnapped by the government or a rebel group and you have no idea where they are. Your friends have either fled the country or are dead. You have the opportunity to go to Europe. Would you do it? How would you want the people to treat you once you have arrived? This little thing called empathy- it can go a long way.
