Shameful

INTRODUCTION

Instead of justifying these human tragedies, we need to have a sense of shame for what is happening. Yes, it is shameful that millions have no place to call home.

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Our globalized world, with its wonders of technology, has made the unknown world a familiar reality on our screens. It has opened “lands of dreams” for many to search for a better life or to simply search for survival.

Today, one in every seven persons in the world is a migrant. Of these, 232 million are international migrants and 740 million are internal migrants. For many, migration still means an opportunity for a better life. However, many more people are simply fleeing intolerable conditions in their own countries, creating an unprecedented refugee exodus from many places across the globe.

If the abuse, exploitation, and loss of lives of those who choose to migrate are horrendous, more so is the unprecedented tragedy affecting the “forced” migrants whose numbers have risen to 16.7 million refugees and 33.3 million internally displaced people. In fleeing war, violence, famine, persecution, poverty or even natural calamities, death is a risk many deem worth taking in these desperate situations. Too often, these involuntary journeys involve great violence, abuse, extortion, and even torture at the hands of criminals and corrupt officials who see the despair of these human beings as an opportunity to capitalize and make great profits. Death is the end of the road for many who cannot comply with the demands of the heartless who prey on those vulnerable human beings.

Adding to this cruelty, immigration policies have been tightened in many of the “receiving” countries, advocating that they cannot absorb any more refugees, leaving precarious boats loaded with innocent lives floating at the mercy of the raging waters. The Mediterranean Sea has become the deadliest route for thousands trying to enter Europe, accounting for 75% of the migrants’ deaths during the year 2014. Lampedusa is a well-known example of this human tragedy. The United States-Mexico border, East African region, Australian border, just to mention a few, are other hot spots where many have lost their lives in their plight to seek refuge. And, while significant data on the numbers of deaths can be provided by international organizations, these global figures still fail to capture the true number of fatalities.

This human tragedy of our times – millions searching for a place to call home – may seem to be beyond our reach. Well, instead of anesthetizing our consciences, the first thing we should do is to remember that behind the statistics, are real stories of human tragedy involving very vulnerable people. Our first response should be one of true compassion for these people – to be able to cry with those who cry. Secondly, we should be more concerned with the root causes of this tragedy: unequal distribution of wealth, denial of fundamental rights (food, housing, education, etc.), and violence. Here we can act! Our overindulgent attitude to food or overspending is an offense to those simply struggling to survive. And, maybe, instead of justifying these human tragedies, we need to have a sense of shame for what is happening. Yes, it is shameful that in today’s civilized and highly technological world, millions have no place to call home. More so, many other millions feel no responsibility for the plight of refugees and displaced persons. Shameful, indeed!

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