Tuesday 8 September 2015

What About the African Refugees?

Public pressure has resulted in David Cameron agreeing to accept more Syrian refugees, albeit still a pitiful amount. "Syrian" is now synonymous with "refugee" in almost all the headlines, but what of the swathes of African refugees who are fleeing genocide and persecution? Surely all human beings in need of shelter and humanitarian help are worthy of our munificence, irrespective of colour, creed or nationality? Why is David Cameron not offering homes to victims of the 12 year long genocide in Sudan? Why is their need less worthy than that of a Syrian? What criteria is used for deciding which nationality is prioritised over another? It shouldn't be a case of them or us. The refugee crisis has to be tackled more strategically and more fairly.

The link below is to an article published in today's Independent. It's an updated version of my last blog and includes the heart breaking story of a Sudanese refugee's agonising, dehumanising journey to Britain.

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/now-weve-changed-our-minds-about-syrian-refugees-we-need-to-stop-ignoring-those-in-calais-10490142.html

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