Dear Editor,
The crisis involving thousands of refugees from conflict-torn Middle Eastern countries trying to enter Western Europe is most disturbing. The manner in which those refugees are treated at the hands of immigration authorities in the bordering countries is scandalous and pathetic.
At a more fundamental level, it brings to the fore man’s inhumanity to his fellow man and the naked self-interest displayed by some Western countries in trying to prevent those pitiful souls from reaching what is perceived to be greener European pastures.
The vast majority of those who flee their homeland do so out of fear for their lives and that of their families, including young and in some cases unborn children. The conflict in Syria and other Middle Eastern countries has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of lives since the commencement of the crisis, a situation made even worse by the emergence of IS.
What is particularly distressing is the large number of migrants who failed in their quest for a better life, not to mention the degradation and indignity they have had to endure including the use of tear gas and water cannon as recently happened at the Hungarian border crossing. People are being treated worse than the lower animals, beaten, chased and humiliated for having committed the ‘crime’ of escaping from poverty and an insecure existence.
While one cannot expect Western Europe to bear the full consequences of bad governance in the Middle East and other countries, at the very least some degree of understanding and tolerance of the plight of the refugees could have been extended.
The United Nations Commission on Human Rights needs to step in and try to seek a more enlightened approach with a view to bringing some measure of relief to the plight of the refugees, in particular that of women and children.
Yours faithfully,
Hydar Ally
