What of the exodus of refugees from the Middle East.....
Without a doubt, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East has spurred a call for action and intervention from civilized and democratic nations.
On the diplomatic front; any attempts thus far, appear to have failed. The Arab Spring has compounded the current problem. A call for change, a call for accountability, a call for economic stability has been overshadowed by "opportunists". Regular citizens, just want a stable environment to work, live and raise their children. Dictators, warlord-bullies and self-proclaimed "saviours" all want to exploit weaknesses in governance structures and in many cases the absence of governance. There is at the root a fundamental lack of leadership, where everyone is in it for themselves. After being spurred by religious zealots and extremists to rebel against existing structure and government, war and conflict has left many victims; mostly innocent people caught in the crossfire of oppression and violence. While it seems logical that many innocent and peace loving people are fleeing for a better life...the "bullies" and extremists such as ISIS and their supporters, will also push through by way of infiltration; to asylum countries in the EU and around the world. And, there fundamentally, lies the challenge....In our liberal and democratic society, we want to welcome the oppressed with open arms....and into our open arms comes the scourge of ISIS and other extremists with the potential to spring terror and chaos.
Should the West help....Yes, they should....however...good control measures, including screening and tracking need to be in place, and I am afraid that the urgency, desperation and overwhelming volume of refugees is making "control" extremely difficult if not virtually impossible. The "do-gooders" often forget or minimize the impact and responsibility associated with an influx of refugees. Complex challenges associated with assimilation into communities, and integration into the "new" world require ongoing supports and resources. Cultural and religious customs also add layers of difficulty for immigrants/refugees. Periods of adaptation, education, awareness are necessary. Unfortunately, these take time; sometimes generations. In the process; anxiety, desperation and disillusionment have a huge impact on the stability and management of these refugees. In turn, these changes have a huge impact on the democratic stability of the host nation and eventually can even overwhelm them.
Security Consultant and Mentor
9 年The new Canadian Liberal Government has announced the processing and admission of some 2500 Syrian refugees by December 31st. The Liberal party of Canada at the height of the 2015 electoral race committed to taking-in 50,000 Syrian refugees by December 31st. The question in many observers' minds was how this was going to be accomplished logistically and by what screening process was this going to be implemented. A few facts need to be mentioned here. The first is that at the height of the Vietnam War and the mass exodus of South Vietnamese residents who did not want to remain under Communist rule, it took Canada alone; 19 months to process and take-in 16000 Vietnamese refugees. This is an interesting point, as authorities of the day were not faced with potential terrorist threats. With the latest ISIS attacks against a Russian airliner, followed by video-threat to cause harm on Russian soil; a reasonable person must question if taking in Syrian refugees some of whom during preliminary screening in Europe, approximately 10% admitted sympathy with ISIS. And now, with the latest attacks in Paris, and the closing/shut-down of borders in France, searches in Belgium and so on.....what is the Prime Minister of Canada thinking he is going to accomplish and how will he respond when Canada again becomes a target of ISIS.
Security Consultant and Mentor
9 年As of November 9th, there is speculation that Canada will begin transporting some of the Syrian and other displaced refugees to Canada. We hear that they are considering various modes of transpo including; military cargo planes, commercial flights, water vessel and so on. There is talk that some refugees will make it to Winnipeg with possible housing at the old Kapyong barracks location. This of course ties in with the Liberal promise to take-in refugees before year-end.
Security Consultant and Mentor
9 年Today September 26th I was re-acquainted with a German Air Force Officer whom I met previously during my Alumni related business trips. We spoke about the current Refugee situation and the German model enacted to deal with mass entries. I was surprised to find out that Germany is actually receiving them, obtaining particulars related to personal vital information, and after providing them with some form of Identification and a 3-year entry/validation card, they are dispatched to various centres across the country in order to begin their adaptation cycle to a new life in Germany. It was his opinion that "terrorist" elements were not likely to infiltrate the mass exodus of refugees, mostly women, adolescents and children as they would have to endure all of the hardships encountered along the way. In fact he suggested they could if motivated; travel, utilizing more common transport systems. Whether this suggestion is completely accurate, I don't want to speculate; however I suspect there may be some truths. The key to ensure that Western nations are not caught un-prepared will be to sustain the efforts around adaptation, education and work training over the course of the next 10-15 years to prevent relapses and radicalization by internal enemies.
Security Consultant and Mentor
9 年Hello Bernadine. I empathize with the plight of the innocent and support assistance. However, my military and security background incite me to suggest that appropriate controls and measures need to be implemented to reduce the risk of contravention by undesirable elements.
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9 年Jacques I read your post, I am from Antelias Lebanon, with family still in Syria. I realize the threat of ISIS, it is very real, but it is also real that children and innocent people are suffering at the hands of these bullies. I hope we see an end to this suffering very soon