St Ed's
The Website of
St Edmund's Parish Church
Roundhay, Leeds, England
Articles - Miscellaneous
How to reduce those asylum applications?
I have read two books recently which have a link between them that is disturbing.
The first is a book produced by the UNCHR (The United Nations Commission for Refugees) entitled "THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S REFUGEES" and is an account of the 50 years of work of the UNCHR since it was set up in 1950, at that time, to help re-settle the European refugees who were still homeless in the aftermath of the Second World War. Wars, ideological conflicts, unstable regimes and more recently environmental disasters since then have ensured that the need for its work has continued to expand. It now assists some 22 million people throughout the world.
It is an extremely well presented book with memorable photographs, excellent maps and an authoritative account of all the work and interventions of the UNHCR during the last 50 years.
The other book is a most readable paperback of a life of Michel Thomas "THE TEST OF COURAGE" by Christopher Robbins. Michel Thomas is now renowned because of his revolutionary methods of teaching languages. During the Second World War he fought with the French Resistance and was captured and imprisoned in the infamous Drancy camp. He escaped and after the war worked as a US Counter Intelligence Officer tracking down Nazi war criminals before he finally settled in the US.
What I found disturbing in this book was the assertion that in the early days of the Third Reich, Hitler merely wanted to be rid of the Jews, and his response to, what became the allied countries, to their complaints about his persecution of the Jews was "if you want them take them". It was only after the countries of Western Europe and the US refused to take Jews appealing for asylum, that Hitler effectively shrugged and said well no-one else wants them either, and went on to devise the Final Solution. To think that our country has a measure of responsibility for the gas chambers is not a comfortable thought. Nor is it a comfortable thought that our current Asylum legislation, in the same way, is preventing individuals from all over the world escaping from life threatening situations.
The issues involved in asylum legislation are obviously complex. However, the message from the 50 year history of the UNHCR is clear. Relatively wealthy, liberal democracies such as ours, which enjoy stable Government, should put far more of their energies and resources into helping resolve conflicts and prevent environmental disasters. This is the sustainable way of bringing down the numbers of people seeking asylum on our country.
Jill Vogler
http:/www.stedmunds.roundhay.org.uk/misc/asylum.htm
© St Edmund's Church, Leeds
Last Revised 26 July, 2001