Lei Xiangping

    lagon235@163.com

    WITH hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa flocking to the European continent seeking asylum, European countries are confronted with the severest immigrant crisis since World War II, which can only be resolved with international cooperation.

    This April, a ferryboat carrying 850 people bound for Italy capsized off Libya’s coast; 800 of the passengers died. Similar accidents have occurred in the Mediterranean in recent months. According to the International Organization for Migration, in the first seven months of 2015, over 237,000 illegal immigrants have successfully stepped into Europe by illegally crossing the Mediterranean, and over 2,300 have died.

    Despite the enormous death toll, illegal immigrants hardly have been scared away and it is predicted that illegal immigrants heading for Europe probably will reach 500,000 in late 2015. Nevertheless, why are so many people embarking on the dangerous journey? The obvious answers are poverty and war.

    In recent years, the tumultuous situation in the Middle East, such as the escalating civil war in Syria and Yemen, the worsening instability in Iraq and the rampancy of ISIS atrocities, have forced people to flee to Europe. In North Africa, instead of establishing a healthy democracy after the Arabian Spring, countries like Tunisia and Libya have plunged into constant domestic conflicts, and in 2014, the youth unemployment rate jumped to 27.1 percent, causing young people to escape to Europe in the hopes of finding work.

    European countries have suffered economic stagnation since the 2008 crisis, but illegal migrants, mostly from countries that were formerly European colonies, still consider the U.K., France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Austria to be paradises of social stability and economic prosperity. In their eyes, entering these countries, no matter how hard it is, will completely change their lives.

    However, flocks of immigrants flooding into Europe has turned out to be a nightmare. On one hand, accommodating these immigrants is not only overburdening Europe’s ailing finance system but is also challenging social stability and the allocation of resources. Thanks to the sluggish economy, xenophobic protests venting anger at immigrants for biting into local welfare systems and job opportunities in Germany and Greece have risen drastically.

    On the other hand, culturally integrating these immigrants, mostly Muslims, into Christian-dominated Europe is a headache. Some critics say that once Europe opens the door for illegal immigrants, the Pandora’s Box of incurring terrorism could possibly be opened as well. Some claim the terrorist attacks in France and Belgium early this year were related to tolerant immigration policies.

    In tackling the worsening crisis, European countries are underprepared, although some countries have tried to curb the trend. As examples, Italy and Spain have signed agreements with African countries to deal with organized illegal crossings, and France and the U.K. have agreed to cooperate in offering humanitarian aid to immigrants lingering in the French town of Calais who are attempting to cross the Channel Tunnel and crack down on illegal immigrant trafficking. These interim policies cannot alleviate the crisis efficiently — therefore the number of illegal immigrants continues to ascend.

    Instead of introducing unified efforts, some European countries have been entangled in bargaining and unwilling to make more sacrifices than their counterparts. The European Union has advised hashing out a joint plan over the immigrant-receiving quota and crisis-dealing expenditure that each country should account for, but to no avail.

    It seems that member states care more about their own interests and won’t take the crisis seriously unless it spreads to their borders. As the first two natural barriers to stopping immigrants from entering the heart of Europe, Italy has held too much responsibility in patrolling the Mediterranean and rescuing immigrants, and indebted Greece does not have the ability to tackle the crisis. Both countries have asked for money and aid from the EU. However, France, the U.K. and Germany did not respond to the request except to say that they themselves are destinations for the immigrants and are paying a high price as well.

    Accommodating the immigrants can benefit Europe as well, but it is up to Europe’s leaders to do the right thing. As a continent that boasts of its strong human rights record, introducing a joint plan to receive some immigrants not only is obtainable but glorifies its tradition of protecting human rights. In addition, receiving immigrants — many of whom are well-educated labors — can ease the labor shortage problem in some Europe countries.

    European countries, both in and out of the EU, should make joint efforts to help these immigrants without delay. Meanwhile, poverty and war in the countries where these immigrants are from should be relieved and stopped. In doing so, international communities, including the United Nations and some major powers, should join hands with Europe to resume peace and stability in the war-torn regions and improve the global economic imbalance.

    (The author is an editor with the News Desk at China Radio International.)