Has fear become a sentiment that characterizes the Dutch people? You would almost think so. Nine hundred of 1,000 Dutch people surveyed want the migrants who are currently arriving to leave again as quickly as possible, according to a major European study. And one in five believes that people from war zones should not be offered care, even though not doing so is a violation of international law.
And yet I do not believe that our country is as anti-refugee as this picture suggests. Sure, we are critical. Many are right to be concerned. But in the meantime hundreds of thousands of compatriots are rolling up their sleeves and helping the asylum seekers. In a short period of time, 320,000 Cordaid donors — concerned people, like everyone else — have donated almost 1 million euros ($1.06 million) to support the refugees. But these silent helpers are not making the news.
What are the politicians doing? They are playing along with this sentiment of fear and even feeding it, and they lack the necessary leadership and vision to generate lasting solutions. ‘‘Basic emergency services” is the best they have come up with for the refugees, and their “discouraging” initiatives have taken absurd proportions. Wait in a container or tent for a year or so? Sure, why not? These are panic measures, pure and simple.
About the author
Simone Filippini
Simone Filippini is the president of Leadership4SDGs. She is a former Dutch ambassador and former executive director of Cordaid and NIMD.
