Talk is still cheap in the refugee crisis

A shocking new report underlines the fact that we need restart efforts on migration

Syrian refugees wait for transportation after crossing into Turkey from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad. AFP Photo

For months, the international community has debated how to solve the global migration crisis. So far, efforts have failed to find a solution that both addresses the root causes of the problem and the immediate needs of refugees who are dying to reach a better place or escape war. New figures released by the United Nations add weight to the intensity of the global problem.

By the end of this year, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said in the report yesterday, more than 65.3 million people will have been forced from their homes by poverty, war or persecution. That is equivalent to the population of France. While migration might be as old as civilisation itself, there are now more refugees on Earth than at any other point in history.

These figures are hardly surprising but they should cause everyone to pause for thought on the sheer size of this issue. Europe’s leadership has failed to create an equitable solution to stem the flow of refugees and many countries are still trying to create a sensible way to handle the refugees already present. Talks between the EU and Turkey, which carried hope of solving immediate concerns in the crisis, are effectively dead in the water.

At the same time, conflicts in the region show few signs of resolution in the short term and continue to produce more refugees. According to the report, the Middle East and North Africa account for more displaced people than any other region in the world. And it is not just the refugees who attempt to leave their countries that pose a significant challenge.

In Syria, 6.6 million people have been internally displaced by the civil war that has devastated the country. While there is renewed discussion about possible western military intervention on the ground in Syria, the direction of travel in the conflict is dire and additional refugees are inevitable.

It is clear that the international community must press the restart button on efforts to solve the refugee crisis. The underlying economic and political factors that have driven millions to flee their homes will not be fixed in the near term. Grandstanding between Europe and Turkey will not end the crisis. There has to be a new climate of cooperation and compromise in combating this problem. Ahead of the UN’s general meeting in September, there have been calls to address the root causes of the refugee issue by ending conflicts around the world. We have to start somewhere as this issue is only getting worse.