Be unafraid, do the right, moral thing - Europe’s response to refugees

THE United Nations’ special envoy on migration Peter Sutherland pulled no punches when he spoke about Europe’s “ruinously selfish” behaviour towards refugees.

In a no-holds-barred attack on Europe’s — our — failures on migration and social integration, Mr Sutherland was scathing: “paralysis and ambivalence” was threatening the future of the EU, promoting xenophobia and encouraging racist political parties, he warned.

Mr Sutherland argued that the EU, with a population of just under 510m, should be able to welcome a million refugees — “had the political leadership of the member states wanted to do so and had the effort been properly organised . . . but instead, ruinously selfish behaviour by some members has brought the EU to its knees.” There were several “honourable exceptions”, most notably German chancellor Angela Merkel, who he described as “a heroine”.