There’s increasing pressure on America and European allies to accept millions of potential migrants from Syria and the Middle East. But five of the wealthiest Middle Eastern countries – Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain – refuse to let a single refugee into their own nations.
Rather than do their share, these countries have closed their borders while calling on others to do more.
These five wealthy nations — UAE, Qatar and Kuwait are three of the 10 richest countries on the planet in terms of per capita income — appear worried about the cost, procedural and security risks associated with accepting refugees, but seem willing to let other nations shoulder the burden. Neither Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait nor Bahrain have signed a United Nations accord that would require them to accept refugees in certain situations.
Back in the U.S., the Associated Press is reporting that the Obama administration is “actively considering” ways to be more responsive to the global migrant crisis, including offering resettlement in the United States to refugees.
Peter Boogaard, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said the United States is in contact with countries in the Middle East and Europe grappling with the influx of more than 340,000 people from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Many are fleeing the civil war in Syria and areas in Iraq under the control of Islamic State militants.
Boogaard noted that the U.S. has provided over $4 billion in humanitarian assistance since the Syrian crisis began, and over $1 billion in assistance this year.
The situation has also led to calls for the U.S. to take a greater role in the crisis by expanding its refugee program and making it easier for immigrants to navigate the cumbersome and time-consuming process. The U.S. has sometimes expedited resettlement, as it did in 1975, when it helped tens of thousands of refugees from South Vietnam and other nearby areas settle in the United States after the fall of Saigon.
In Europe, hundreds of angry and frustrated asylum-seekers broke through police lines Monday near Hungary’s southern border with Serbia and began marching north toward Budapest, while Britain and France pledged to take in tens of thousands more refugees to try to ease the crisis.
As European leaders debated how to share responsibility for those who are already seeking refuge, Germany promised to spend billions of euros in extra aid for those already there and those yet to arrive and has pledged to take up to half-a-million refugees each year.
But in many of the wealthiest Middle East countries, Muslim leaders have totally turned their back on the crisis.
Perhaps you should also let us know how many refuges has Israel taken in.
Israel has provided free high level hospital care for hundreds of wounded Syrians, despite unusually violent protests by druze citizens, and recently accepted thousands of immigrants from African countries. Not bad for a country the size of Delaware.
Of course the wealthy muslim nations refuse to help. They hate each other especially if either is Sunni or Shia. And how come Syria’s buddy Russia isn’t taking in any refugees?? Germany’s pledge to take in up to half a million refugees a year is generous and admirable but might be a bit much.
Maybe this is what ISIS wants and is using it to infiltrate many countries at once. With so many people, no proper checks, the west is just playing right into their hands. Look at the pictures coming out, most of these guys look healthy and wealthy, they even have time to get their ‘selfie’ stick and mobile phone in their rush to flee their war torn country. While maybe there is some genuine ones, they are probably the ones who end up drowning and being left in a truck on the side of a road. Look at these countries where they are coming from, do you want your country to end up the same way? Interesting how the ‘rich’ Muslim countries are not taking any. Good way to drain the resources of the western countries while getting a bigger population of Muslims in the country, a bigger plan is in progress
Enemies will destroy us from within once they settle in our country.
Does anyone remembers Marathon bombing ? We take care of them and they are killing us. Wake up America !
Forget about the Marathon bomber, as evil and tragic as it was, and remember the USA’s bombing of Iraq. All for what? They caused this whole destabilisation of the area on a lie based on weapons of mass destruction, then they armed the ISIS to fight against the next regime they want to topple in Syria. When it all goes wrong, as invariably it always does when the true motive is to further war and arm dealing, they all start wailing and saying ‘Look what’s happening over there now’. Wake up America indeed.
there could be some real truth to what you are saying
I read that you all are talking about some 340.000 refugees coming to Europe. The latest number known – estimated by the U.N. – is 1.400.000 people in 2015 and 2016 alone. This is not a trickle anymore, but an avalanche of disoriented people.
More help from other countries would be appreciated, because even Germany and France are out of their depth to register, feed and house so many people. The people who arrive all have their own story and and their own fears. At least: most of them have. But also chances are high that there are wolves among the sheep. This cannot be reasoned away by thinking that ‘fugitives’ will not have a hidden agenda in entering a well to do European country.
There are many kinds of fugitives. “The fugitive” does not exist because fugitives are all different: in their views, in their needs and in their behaviour. Please, remember that.
This is a nasty situation: we all want to help people who have suffered and who are afraid, but we also have to be vigilant so that we do not welcome with a smile thieves, murderers and rapists into our countries.
I wish I had a crystal ball to see how everything works out, say in 2020. Is there anyone out there with foreknowledge?
Germany has either 1st or 2nd lowest in the e.u. that it spends on its own military.the e.u.average is no larger than 1.5%of each g.d.p..for Germany its been one third of that since end of cold war.this is inviting future trouble..maybe Germany and e.U. should stop this lunacy of weapons exports to middle East and build thier own military up .the USA in the same time period has spent over 4.5% annually for defence for the last 40 years.