A REFUGEE’S SON ON WHY THE WEST MUST DO MORE
WASHINGTON— It was only five years ago that David Miliband looked destined to become a future British prime minister. However, after unexpectedly losing the battle for the leadership of the Labour Party, Miliband stepped away from politics in 2013 and moved to New York City to lead the International Rescue Committee, an organization dedicated to helping refugees. Under Miliband — the son of Jewish refugees who fled to London during the Second World War — the IRC recently launched a campaign calling on the United States to resettle 100,000 Syrian refugees in 2016. In an interview, he explains why the crisis isn’t a blip but a long-term trend — and why North America must play a bigger role in helping to resettle the world’s refugees.
If there’s no slowdown to these huge numbers of people making the journey, could the discourse in Europe change and become more negative?
Yes. There is always that danger. I think that there are two points: One, is this a trend or is this a blip? I think it’s a trend, because there are three forces that are driving this rise in the number of people fleeing conflict: an implosion in the Islamic world, weak states that can’t hold back different ethnic and political differences, and a weakened international system. Those are secular trends, not short-term trends, so I think point one is that this is likely to be a trend, not a blip. Secondly, is there a danger of a backlash? People want compassion and competence, and if you have compassion without competence, then there is a danger of a backlash. It’s hugely more difficult for the European authorities now because they are playing catch-up.
When we talk about refugees and migrants in Europe, we focus on Syrian refugees. However, the reality is that many people are also coming from the Balkans, including Roma people. Most of these people are having their asylum applications, if they make them, rejected. Is that fair?
The fact that they are having their asylum claims rejected shows the system is working. Remember the second-largest group is from Afghanistan. It’s about 20 per cent Afghanistan. There are also Eritreans who are fleeing conscription and persecution. Last year, Europe sent back 98,000 people. I’m arguing for the integrity of the refugee system and for the rights of refugees. I’ve got to maintain that someone who isn’t a refugee can’t be allowed to stay. It is very important that it’s not a one-way street.
Coming from the U.K. and moving to the U.S. — is there anything that is especially surprising about the different ways the refugee debate is framed in the two countries?
This country has, as the pope said, has been built by immigrants. “Bring me your poor and huddled masses,” as it says on the Statue of Liberty. I think that the appeal to the American leadership should be stronger. I think that security concerns are much greater here than in Europe, much more ever-present than in the debate than in Europe. But people don’t realize it’s harder to get to America as a refugee than any other route, short of swimming the Atlantic. If you did want to come and cause trouble in the U.S., there are many other easier ways of getting in to cause trouble (than coming as a refugee).