Europe and the USA think there is a refugee crisis now, but it will pale by comparison with the tens of millions of people who will be knocking at the door in the years to come.
Every leader knows it is going to happen, but hasn’t got a clue as to what to do about it. Indeed, refugees are seen as a political liability in the West, so the problem is being ignored.
It’s been known for decades that climate change is going to force whole populations to be on the move. Areas of land that were once barely able to support communities will become uninhabitable; forcing people to look for somewhere else to bring up their children in safety.
Parents only want the best for their children
We have all seen the pictures of starving mothers and children. No mother wants to see her child die and this will be a driving force behind the movement of people.
According to the World Bank up to 140 million people could be displaced in the next few decades.
What is so disturbing is there is no discussion about this. What’s more, decision makers have no plan to deal with it.
We all know that desperate people will climb over walls, break down doors and risk their very lives for respite because they have nothing to lose.
However, Western society is caught up in debates about legal or illegal, refugee or economic migrant. Not to mention the differences in colour, race or religion.
A plan is needed for the looming refugee crisis
Some countries pride themselves on strong boundaries and united populations. These will fall away in the face of the desperation driving future migration.
It is time for the world to come together to work out what to do. In the absence of any plan there is simply fear, racial hatred and vilification.
World leaders must devise a global plan, otherwise we will all pay the price in the coming decades.
The politics of war seems to involve getting as many refugees out as possible and fighting as humanely as possible with as few as possible civilian casualties. But let’s stop wars in the first place- let’s study their causes. The second world war was supposed to be ‘ the war to end all wars’- so much history was done but we are not learning the lessons.