Sir, – As a group of individuals from six religious orders, members of the Irish branch of Vivat International, an international peace and justice NGO with consultative status at the UN, we are deeply concerned about this worsening humanitarian crisis.
We cannot stand silently by as thousands of our brothers and sisters are forced to undertake long journeys by land and sea, and often at great personal expense, as they flee for their safety, and become exposed to the cruelty and exploitation of people smugglers, as a result of which many of them lose their lives before they reach their destination.
We must never forget the journeys that thousands of Irish emigrants embarked upon during the Famine nor how many of them died en route, as a result of disease and starvation. Most were seen as a “liability” and as a “burden” when they arrived on foreign shores. We must also remember their great courage and how many of them contributed to their “new land” and became innovators, humanitarians, and leaders at all levels of society.
Today migrants who are fleeing persecution and extreme poverty are fragile and will need much assistance initially, but many of them will also come with useful skills and experiences which will contribute to the building of our economy and society.
So, we urge our Government to respond to Angela Merkel’s leadership in seeking equitable redistribution of refugees and asylum seekers across the EU and to be generous in its response.
We know that this year alone Germany and Sweden have taken in 45 per cent of all the migrants who have arrived in Europe. And Greece, despite all its own problems, has taken in 50,000. Ireland’s response has been to take around 4,000 individuals over several years. As a nation we have benefited economically from membership of the EU and despite the recent crises we can show real moral courage and compassion in extending the hand of welcome to those seeking refuge and freedom.
We acknowledge the important contribution made by the Government in the rescue efforts at sea and the great work of the men and women of the Naval Service in saving so many lives with efficiency and compassion.
The magnitude of this crisis challenges the EU to support long-term solutions to the political, ethnic and religious conflicts that are forcing people to take such desperate measures for freedom. We believe that this is a time for the EU to show unity and leadership in how it addresses this crisis. – Yours, etc,
Fr LIAM DUNNE, SVD
Sr LENA DEEVY, LSA
Fr BILLY CLEARY, CSSp
Sr CARMEN LEE, SSpS
Sr MARY ROSE
CROWE, MSHR
Sr RENATE, SSpS
Fr TOM McCABE, OMI
(Vivat International)
Divine Word Missionaries,
Pembroke Road,
Dublin 4.