European Migration Crisis

As we Kashmiri pundits are in our 25^th year of exile, my heart goes out to millions of people who are facing migration around the world due to civil wars, religious persecution and economic hardships. The “European refugee” crisis as they call it is one of the largest human displacements on earth since World War II. This crisis is reminiscent of our own situation in 1990’s, when approximately 3 lac KP’s moved out from their permanent abode to fend for their lives in Jammu and other different parts of India. None would know the pit falls of the migration better than us. One does not only lose one’s home, culture and traditions. But also gets robbed of one’s identity forever. The damage is permanent and beyond repair.

The 2015 European migrant crisis can be majorly attributed to the ever increasing number of refugees from Middle East, Africa, the western Balkan states and south Asia barging into different European countries to seek political asylum or better livelihood. Thousands of these migrants are dying daily in their quest to enter into Europe through popular refugee routes. An estimated 137,000 migrants tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea during April to June of 2015. These numbers are rising with each passing day and countries like Greece which are already under huge economic turmoil are facing the majority of the brunt as people from Syria and Iraq find it the easiest route to enter into Europe. Syrians, Eritreans and Afghans account for about 70% of these refugees. The situation is critical as the EU turns a blind eye to the great human crisis. A spokesperson for EU has termed this crisis as “Beyond Urgent” and called for a “collective response” to deal with the problem as thousands of people are trying to reach the European shores.

 According to United Nations high commission for refugees (UNHCR), the number of forced human displacement had reached 59.5 million worldwide at the end of year 2014.By latest estimates published by UNHCR in August 15, already 250,000 migrants had arrived in Europe through sea or by other means, of these around 124,000 have arrived in economically challenged country like Greece and 98,000 in Italy. Government of Greece which is reeling under a huge financial crisis, when even their ATM’s have run out of money, these refugees have been left at the mercy of few voluntary organisations who are organising aid, food, medicines, clothes and temporary shelters for them. Without any doubt the situation is getting out of control and there is total chaos in their country. Even UNHCR admits that the facilities in the country are inadequate to tackle the situation. Apart from Greece, Italy and Hungary have also borne the brunt of this huge human influx. The biggest irony today is that nobody knows how to tackle the situation.   

The picture of lifeless body of Alan kurdi , a three year old Syrian boy, on the shores of Mediterranean sea in turkey sent shock waves across the globe.  The photograph which was clicked by journalist, Nilofer Demir, spread around the world, prompting ordinary people like us to take note of the situation. It gave a chilling reminder to humanity about the magnitude of problem that exists and how human traffickers are weaving a web of death and deceit around these gullible migrants who in their desperation are putting everything of theirs at stake, even the lives of their own children. The situation is not only grim but real as well.