EDITORIAL: Addressing the issue of migrants should begin with humanity

Brussels, Belgium, the seat of the European Union is abuzz. Many world leaders have converged there for the annual European Development Days (EDD) that has become a permanent fixture on the calendar. Various personalities from all over the world met to debate all aspects of development, and President Paul Kagame is among them. Unfortunately the important event has been upstaged by unfortunate world events, terror attacks that seem to generate more media coverage than the EDD, even though both have some level of linkages. The majority of terror attacks have been traced to migrants or descendents of migrants. Analysts have been trying to cipher why young men and women are easily radicalised. Most come to the same conclusion; frustration. Many are victims of injustices, live in neglected neighbours with little social amenities and then become easy prey to the extremists. Add in a pinch of religious fervor and brainwashing and you have all the ingredients of a human bomb. It is not a surprise that the issue of migration is top on the agenda in this year’s EDD. Europe is already reeling under the huge wave of migrants who take the perilous journey via the Mediterranean President Kagame addressed the migration chapter during the opening session. Sometimes people get uprooted because their countries of origin have not delivered to their expectations. They find their environments do not have the requisite to help them fully exploit their potential and decide to decamp to what they expect will help them do that. Maybe Europe is experiencing migrant fatigue, but there is no need to mistreat them, which is the first stage of inviting radicalisation. As Kagame said; the dignity and safety of migrants – be it their countries of origin or their destinations – is of most importance.

Opinions

EDITORIAL: Addressing the issue of migrants should begin with humanity