The Difference Between Refugees and Migrants

A refugee is some one running for their lives.   They are escaping a dangerous situation.   It could be due to famine.   It could be because of war.   It could be due to genocide.   The refugee needs to escape.   The refugee begs sanctuary from whomever s/he can get it.

To put a spotlight on this; Australia has those who try to land on their shores taken to two islands in the Pacific Ocean.   They are safe on those islands.   If they are refugees they are happy to be safe.   If they were looking to go to Australia for benefits, well, they won’t be so happy.

Many of those who leave the Middle East and Africa are refugees.  They are escaping the war in Syria, the oppression in Eritrea.  They arrive and are expected to be thankful they are safe.   Others have choices.  They want to go to this country or that country.  They are unhappy when they can not get into their country of choice.

This suggest that they may not really be refugees but migrants.

When there are ‘detention centres’ where all arrivants are taken and sorted, then the likelihood of a terrorist getting into a European nation is lessened.   Where there are no real centres, no real sorting, the possibility that persons who are not refugees will slip through the cracks and enter a nation in which they may be up to no good.

The fact is that the slogan;  ‘one bad apple’ does apply.

America is a nation of immigrants.   People came to America for ‘a better life’.   There was a specific island in the New York harbour where all immigrants were landed, examined, and registered.   Millions of people arrived at Ellis Island, and the majority were entered.

For America to become anti-immigrant, when everyone, save native Americans are immigrants, is more than ironic.

Trump’s Grandfather came to the United States in 1885 from Germany.  His mother was born in Scotland.  He is, on his father’s side, a second generation, on his mother’s side, a first generation American.

Angela Merkel’s mistake was not carefully vetting those who were allowed into Germany.   If she had been a bit more selective the arguments against her would be without impact.  She is not the only one who was not particularly careful in opening borders.   And it is this laxity which inspires many Far Right Xenophobes to become rabidly anti.