The three suicide bombing attacks that hit Brussels in the morning of March 22, 2016 served as a grim reminder of the Paris attacks that happened in November of last year. The Brussels attacks left 31 people dead and about 300 others injured. Leaders from all around the globe denounced the senseless attacks. Many called for unity in these trying times while some resorted to more drastic measures.
Poland PM Refuses to Take in Immigrants
Fighting in the Middle East has displaced millions of people. Each year, thousands of migrants and refugees die while trying to get to safer soil. Most of the casualties happen at sea as many immigrants risk their lives by travelling in severely overloaded boats. to help keep immigrants safe, the European Union has forged an agreement in which each European country is given a set number of immigrants it must welcome into its custody. After the terrorist attack in Brussels, however, , the Prime Minister of Poland, announced that Poland is closing its doors to all immigrants.
The First EU Member to Abandon Immigrants
The Polish PM states that the move is not retaliation for the three Poles that were injured in the attacks but a necessary step to keep Poland safe since there is no way of guaranteeing none of the immigrants is a terrorist in disguise. Before the attack, Poland has agreed to take in 7000 immigrants this year. The plan, however, was not agreed upon by the previous Prime Minister, not Szydlo. Szydlo insists that his country’s doors will remain closed to refugees until the Polish government is able to guarantee that all of them are really victims and not criminals.
Related Articles:
POLAND: “We are NOT Western Europe, we will NOT be infiltrated by Muslim terrorists posing as refugees” – http://goo.gl/jOwrL4
Poland slams door on refugees – http://goo.gl/eVxUmD
Europe slams migrant door: Hungary, Austria and Holland shut borders as Germany imposes controls – saying it can’t cope – http://goo.gl/7J0lzL
The Polish PM’s Decision is Making Matters Worse
Atif Fareed, the president of the American Muslim Community Centers, criticized PM Szydlo’s decision. Fareed said that Europe is currently dealing with the worst migrant crisis since the Second World War and one country refusing migrants will likely lead to complications. In 2015 alone, more than 1.2 million refugees fled the Middle East looking for a better life in Europe. Poland is setting a bad example and if other EU countries follow its lead, a significant portion of the 120,000 refugees EU is supposed to house this year will be left without a home.
Atif Fareed calls for unity. Refugees are also victims of the terrorists’ rampage in the Middle East. We should show terrorists that we are not scared. And we should not sacrifice our humanity by turning away those who need help the most, the refugees.