Europe is a mess right now. Not in that awful, defeatist, right-wing way which always describes States as sinking ships because, well, they let too many dark people in. No, I mean Europe is a mess because it has no clear way to solve the refugee crisis.
At the Greek-Macedonia border, police fired teargas into a crowd of refugees who were trying to breach a gate. Teargas can cause temporary blindness, and I fear that the amount being tossed around borders is making Europe temporarily blind: We had an excellent start to handling the crisis - we were open, welcoming, understanding. Now, after the Paris attacks and revival of right-wing movements, we're worse than ever - the Jungle is being demolished, the British Navy will probably escort refugees to Italy (read, police and arrest), and Greece - once again is on the verge of an administrative and political catastrophe.
It's clear something has to be done - what's not clear is what. To many, I'm sure it seems like a great idea to throw up walls and borders; To police the hell out of refugees - after all, why are they trying to get here anyway, eh? To others, we should probably just leave all borders and gates down - let them come, let everyone come!
Neither is a solution. Brutal rejection violates dignity and creates resentment (as well as human rights, but that's another issue) - and total openness will simply not be allowed by societies who are not prepared to do so.
So what do we do? Last year, Amnesty International issued an 8-part solution to the crisis, arguing that it is complex, but not intractable. It is difficult - not insoluble. And it will require deep personal and political will. Brutality and rejection will create resentment among refugees and sympathetic groups; Total openness among local populations. What's needed is something that allows refugees in, while taking the views local populations seriously. So, even though this was issued last year, I bring it to your attention now - 8 ways we can still come together and solve the crisis. Refugees are not someone else's problem: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2015/10/eight-solutions-world-refugee-crisis/