Canada must control refugee intake

Re: “Clark commits $1M to settle refugees in B.C.,” Sept. 9; “Greater Victoria mayors urge action on Syria,” comment, Sept. 9.

The front-page picture of our tearful premier is an appropriate adjunct to the emotionalism exhibited by the mayors of Greater Victoria who have collectively urged quick Canadian intake of refugees from the Middle East.

The single photo of a drowned and facedown three-year-old refugee on a Turkish beach has become a motivating focal icon locally, nationally and internationally. It’s unfortunate that our premier and local leaders, along with a significant portion of the public, have become — because of a sad single photo — motivated to take urgent action in what has been a problem for many months, if not years.

There are both economic migrants and war refugees who, to an alarming degree, continue to overwhelm multiple European national border controls. For maximum visual effect, extensive TV coverage frequently zeros in on children or family groups in dire straits.

However, much coverage shows that the vast majority of those seeking entry to Europe are single men who appear to range from the late teens to 20s, 30s or older. With such migrant-refugee demographics, those European countries unable to selectively quality-control their refugee intakes will face significant social problems for many years.

Let’s be prepared to assume some local refugee-assistance tasks. But let’s first urge our federal authorities to, while maintaining long-established entrance and security requirements, allow only a measured and controlled refugee intake.

Ron Johnson Saanich