You’re welcome

Published on 6 September 2021 at 17:18

In the cartoon: "Hostess". On the shirt: "Welcome Afghan refugees".

EU countries vowed on 1 September to financially help Afghanistan’s neighbours to manage refugees coming from the country, now under radical taliban rule, instead of agreeing on a shared asylum policyT.

They fear that doing so might attract even more people, and a repetition of the 2015 Syrian refugees crisis. European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said it is crucial that the EU supports Afghans in Afghanistan. “It’s important to see what we can do now to avoid a humanitarian crisis. This is the best way to avoid a migration crisis.” She however agreed to convene a High Level Resettlement Forum next month to discuss potential resettlement for “those Afghans who are most vulnerable, particularly women, and children, but also human rights activists, journalists, lawyers.”

While some European countries announced their willingness to welcome Afghan refugees, others refused to provide any help. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, whose country holds the presidency of the Council of European Union, tweeted on August 22: “It is not the duty of  the EU or Slovenia to help and pay everyone on the planet who is fleeing, instead of fighting for their homeland.” A cold reception, to say the least.

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