EU’s stance on distressed refugees runs counter to its principles

It is with a sense of deep regret and dismay that we read of the European Union’s continued march towards securing its borders, paying off Turkey to keep them out and returning those who are seeking refuge (Irish Examiner, March 7).

Indeed, the main focus seems to be one of keeping people out, whilst at the same time showing scant regard for those who are currently in camps within the EU and who have found themselves consigned to conditions of squalor and inhumanity.

Such is the time-honoured response of governments to the exclusion of oppressed and unwanted people, and it has been employed throughout history, particularly in advance of human rights atrocities.