Refugees Asylum Seekers and Migrants in Europe

The last few years have seen a growth in xenophobia and intolerant nationalism in Europe. Events like September 11th and the war in Iraq have intensified an atmosphere of suspicion and fear and toughened the approach to refugees and immigrants worldwide. Strangers in our midst are, it seems, no longer welcome.

All these developments are coming at a time when Europe is still reluctant to see one of its most striking problems: the ageing European population. The numbers of children under 14 years of age and adults over 60 are hugely disproportionate. Whereas the average age in Brazil is 27 years, the average age in Belgium is 40. And the older Europeans are, the more they have the tendency to perceive migration solely as a threat to their living standards. An inability to see the enriching aspects of migration serves to build the barriers higher.
 

In an effort to convince voters that immigration is under control and being managed in their interests, governments have adopted ever more repressive legislation at the expense of human rights and of the dignity of the individual migrant or refugee. The emphasis on border control and monitoring the movement of migrants only offers a short-term solution and easy political capital. However, the corollary of this approach is that migrants are perceived as an increasing threat and their rights are constantly diminished. Furthermore, they are often put into situations of extreme danger in trying to circumvent barriers to migration, such as border controls, by relying on smugglers and traffickers.

In this situation JRS Europe is trying to promote a more tolerant and respectful environment for those who are “foreigners in a foreign land” and who are waiting for our understanding and acceptance.