In the BBC News article "EU's Tusk warns illegal economic migrants: Do not come here" (2016), we are told that European Union (EU) in finding solution to reduce the number of influx illegal migrants. Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, discourages all potential illegal migrants from entering Greece as there are no opportunities in this country.
According to the BBC News report, The International Organization for Migration (IMO) states that more than hundred thousand migrants reached Europe by sea in 2016. €700 millions are provided by the European Commission to tackle this crisis.
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My Yes/No question is:
Should the government accept migrants from other countries?
My answer is:
Yes, the government should accept migrants to a certain extent based on economic and social stability of the country. People from countries like Syria are starving and having poor living conditions due to civil war. I feel a strong sense of empathy as to witness the innocent been caught up in this political crisis of their own country. These people just want a new life - wanting a new good headstart to build up their family. Even now, there are still thousands of refugees waiting to enter countries in Europe, waiting on their boats and starving to death. We are fortunate enough that we have opportunities to live in a house and enjoy air conditioners at night. We are auspicious enough that we were born in such a peaceful country (even though it's not). We are lucky enough that we have proper diet to eat every single meal. Learn to appreciate what we have, not what we don't have. Their lives are more miserable than us.
However, we cannot always bias. Sometimes, countries cannot just simply accept the migrants blindly. Take for example, Greece is still facing economic crisis in which its own people are now having lower standard of lives. If more migrants are coming into such country, of course, more problems occur. Not only that, on the 14 November 2015, a tragic incident occurred in the middle of Paris caused by Syrian refugees. More than hundred people died and plenty injured. Imagine if we are one of the victims, what would we feel about this tragedy? Happy and Exciting? This is why the government take these problems into consideration before accepting more migrants.
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I agree with Non that most countries, including mine and Thailand, can and should take in more refugees than they do.
ReplyDeleteAustralia for most of its history had a fairly good record of taking in economic and political refugees, although today a lot of Australians are opposing taking in these desperate people. They are wrong to oppose helping others.
My own ancestors not so long ago were economic refugees from Italy, and had they not been taken in, my family would not today enjoy the very comfortable life that they have in Australia and have had for the past century. It annoys me when my nearest and dearest relatives make irrational and ugly statements against extending the same invitation to work hard and succeed in Australia as new Australian citizens.
Does Thailand have a better record than Australia at taking in refugees, giving them Thai citizenship and letting them work hard to boost the Thai economy as they contribute to Thai society?
Thank you Non for starting us off with a great question and thoughtful response to the source that prompted it.
I agree with you but currently Thailand is not fully- prepared to accept in more migrants. Thailand is still a third world country where majority of the citizens have poor living conditions. From what I normally see from the news, there are a lot of Thai people who have no money but struggling to survive. Unlike in developed countries, people there have good living conditions as they gain much support from the government. If Thai government takes in all the migrants like Rohingya, what would Thai citizens who are still starving think about the government action? But if one day, Thailand become more developed and its citizens have good standard of lives, we would surely accept in more migrants
DeleteIt is still a controversial topic about 'Foreign Talents' in Singapore since 1970s. With late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's policy to attract foreign talents, Singaporeans at first disagree with this measure. But 40 years have passed, plots of land transform into the luxurious Marina Bay Sands, a deserted island turns into one of the largest amusement park in the world. Take a look at Singapore today! What would happen if Mr Lee did not come up with this policy? Who would build one of the best transport system in the world? Who would construct thousands of HDB flat? Who would do land reclamation for 200 square kilometers which are half of Singapore main island? Taking in refugees may not be a burden to us like what some people think. If the government know how to put their skills to the correct use, it will benefits both the host country and the migrants themselves. Thank you.
I'm not sure I agree that Thailand is still a third world country, but it does have some third world quality military governments who are major problems against economic and social progress for the Thai nation, which is the Thai people.
DeleteI think that if Thailand invited in migrants and gave them Thai citizenship, they would bring with them knowledge, wealth and willingness to work hard to develop Thailand, which would be very good for the Thai economy and society.
Would Thai society and its economy suffer from having, for example, a lot of Japanese bring in their experience and wealth to develop industries? If Americans and Canadians who had become Thai citizens invested in creating new businesses to employ people and develop the Thai nation, would that be in any way harmful or undesirable?
I wonder what others think about the interesting questions that Non's blog asks us to consider.
The social welfare from the rich country is quite new innovation of the modern state. It change a lot of attitude towards the refugee which is counted not only the labour to move the economy but also the burden for tax. So, Never be surprised to heard from the Singaporean to disagree the policy for accept the immigration from China, which they both share the same ethnicity and even language. I quite understand most of Australian mind for the discomfort about the immigration. Even some Chinese traveler, who came to visit for only short time and help our economy a lot, can also make many Thai people, especially in Chiang Mai, and also sigh from their behavior, for example shit in extraordinary position and style.
DeleteYes, we should help those in need but depend on our capability. The border of Thailand has absorbed the minority refugees from Myanmar for quite many decades and also cause the financial problem and also the security problem like the hostage at the hospital in Ratchaburi province around 20 years ago. The problem now is the rights, social welfare and freedom of many prosperous states' citizens became so attractive for refugee and at the same time as threat to the state security which sometimes echoed by the movement of the conservative groups.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction is also Yes. This must be one of the most serious crises in our century. Though each country has its own severe financial problems, still many people have time to enjoy their coffee in a day. While the migrants are in peril in their lives and Europe are facing to their limits to save them. I wonder why UN or leaders of G20 do not consider it as a matter of pressing "our" issue and do not initiate a world campaign of fund raising from people in the world to support them.
ReplyDeleteI feel soon or later, I mean in another centuries, country's boarder will disappear like this - by a political turmoil; or by dwindling population like Japan, large scale of disasters, and outbreak of epidemics. I have seen the world of earth-men and women in the SF.