EU leaders are using us as pawns in a Game of Migrants, say refugees

[webfact]

EU leaders are using us as pawns in a Game of Migrants, say refugees
By Everton Gayle



"We are the playing cards. No one looks at us as a human kind. We have dreams, we have a life, we have children"

PARIS: -- While EU leaders and Turkey continue to thrash out a deal on the migration crisis, refugees on the ground on the Greek-Macedonian border say they are angry and disappointed with the progress of the talks.

An agreement has reportedly been made in principle to return migrants who do not qualify for refugee status to Turkey, in return for resettling within Europe an equal number of refugees.

But while some wait, stranded in a waterlogged refugee camp, they say they are being used as pawns.

Abu Haida, a refugee from Syria said: “We are the playing cards. No one looks at us as a human kind. We have dreams, we have a life, we have children. No. They are looking for us as money, as numbers.”

While Ahmed, who is also from Syria, said the stranded refugees were angry: “Of course that make us feel disappointed. You know, Most of people here have a hope that they will open the borders, at least for those people stuck here on the border, but finally they said no way to go through these borders. This make us feel so bad, angry.”

Meanwhile Macedonian security forces arrested four migrants from Afghanistan who attempted to cross from Greece in a field five kilometres from Idomeni.

The four were escorted back to the border.

Police say a number of migrants have been trying to cross the border in areas where there is no fence.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-03-09

[NongKhaiKid]

Another host of slanted reports on the BBC starting with a brother and sister from Turkey who simply want a ' better life ' so Europe's their destination and finishing, but not finally, this morning with a couple of youngsters laughing as they ask why Europe won't let them in and all they want is a boat to Europe.

I wouldn't be surprised if the reporter coached them.

As usual the BBC, and other channels, never ask if they consider what they're doing is against the laws of other countries etc and although we can be sure they don't care it would be nice for a change to get some balanced reporting instead of the carefully presented one sided sympathy the media insists on.

Edited March 8, 2016 by NongKhaiKid

[Geoffggi]

We can all thank Merkel the turtle for sticking her neck out and starting the mass influx of people into Europe, if only the politicians would look after there own countrymen instead of wanting to look good in the eyes of others we would be a lot better off.

[trogers]

Economic migrants...

[NongKhaiKid]

All these migrants will fit in nicely, having ignored the law, and border controls etc of countries to get to their chosen destination there will be no problem ignoring all laws there that don't suit them and there will be a lot of those.

[elgordo38]

Economic migrants...

I think Europeans are being held hostage due to the fact they must now pony up their hard earned money to keep these people till the become "productive" members of society. Yes AM may seem like a savior to many but to many they are being enslaved to pay dearly for these immigrants to become "integrated" into a normal society. After integration they will take many jobs from Europeans working for less money and thus make European big business happy. Its all about the money honey. The little guy is nothing but a pawn.

[marcofunny]

The problem facing the western world is this; if you don't take asylum seekers then you are being racist and far right but when you do take asylum seekers from countries where women are treated in a way that would not only be illegal but against all democratic and moral values that we believe in and in which make our countries so desirable in the first place, then our right to a safe, free and known way of life is lost forever.

I am not racist, but the truth is I believe that the best way to help asylum seekers in if possible with aid within their own country or a country with similar core political, religious and moral values. I truly believe that this would be the best outcome not only for western countries but also for the asylum seekers.

[F430murci]

Sorry, but you as refugees don't have a voice and I for one don't care to hear your voice or opinions about what you perceive as unfair. They are mistaking generosity and benevolence with rights.

[arjunadawn]

Quite true. They are being used.

If they jump up on a chess board with known rules (don't break the law, no economic migrants, nothing is for free, don't bypass border security, etc) and then get moved around, they are equally at fault as the bozos moving the pieces. In fact, they are more at fault because human autonomy is a central feature of being alive. If they are not responsible for such fundamental choices what the he ll good will they bring to society?

The liberal siren of everyone being a victim, no one is accountable for their actions, and it takes a village to raise a fool is what invites people to prey upon this liberal stupidity; this is the progressive world view. A perfect marriage of human ignorance and human predation cloaked as victim.

[Scott]

The problem facing the western world is this; if you don't take asylum seekers then you are being racist and far right but when you do take asylum seekers from countries where women are treated in a way that would not only be illegal but against all democratic and moral values that we believe in and in which make our countries so desirable in the first place, then our right to a safe, free and known way of life is lost forever.

I am not racist, but the truth is I believe that the best way to help asylum seekers in if possible with aid within their own country or a country with similar core political, religious and moral values. I truly believe that this would be the best outcome not only for western countries but also for the asylum seekers.

You make some interesting points. When a lot of the protocols that were written on Human Rights and the Convention on Refugees, it was a very different world and it was one in which developed nations had plenty of room to accommodate new arrivals. Economies were generally good and jobs were readily available for nearly everyone regardless of education.

The majority of the people who were refugees were people who came from roughly similar cultural backgrounds. It wasn't until the Vietnamese boat people began to arrive in western countries that we saw a population which was significantly different culturally and ethnically. By and large, they were successfully absorbed. It needs to be remembered that they had been a French colony, so they had exposure to western ideals and cultural norms.

The shift of refugees toward the ME is a very different demographic and the cultural and religious differences are much wider. Assimilation is trickier.

In general, I agree with the conventions on refugees and human rights, but the wholesale resettlement of large numbers of people into western countries needs some serious thought. Receiving countries should not take more people than they can adequately absorb and care for.

[Rancid]

Seems the Swedes have solved their surging sexual assault rates for women and children by Muslim immigrants They are handing out bracelets that say something to the effect of "please don't rape me" in Swedish.

Can always count of government for a brilliant PC solution.