Luxembourg NGO Association de Soutien aux Travailleurs Immigrés (ASTI) has come forward to once again to criticise Europe's handling of the current refugee crisis, two months after previously calling out for European leaders to negotiate quotas for the distribution of the influx of refugees.
ASTI reported that 59.5 million people worldwide have been uprooted by conflict of poverty, with 86% of them coming from developing countries.
ASTI went on to state that contrary to some fears, the vast majority of displaced persons had found refuge outside of Europe, with the 263,500 people who crossed the Mediterranean to reach Europe in mid-August 2015 representing 0.44% of the population of the 28 Member States of the European Union.
In the first seven months of this year, 650 people sought asylum in Luxembourg, constituting 0.11% of asylum seekers as compared to the total population.
The NGO went on to state that the security policy in Europe needed to be amended to welcome the refugees who had risked their lives and gone through immense tragedies to reach Europe.
The subject of how to handle the refugee crisis has become a topic of intense debate, and has resulted in several government and EU meetings to attempt to develop Europe-wide solutions to the issue.
ASTI stated that refugees fleeing war zones such as Syria should be given immediate refugee status, freeing them of a long and expensive procedure. The NGO also suggested better integrating refugees into the labour market, by employing them in positions with few candidates and allowing businesses to show their support through mentorship.
ASTI concluded by stating that the Luxembourgish government needed to provide these newcomers with the financial means of social and professional integration, allocating living allowances and offering language courses to help them become part of life in the Grand Duchy.
Photo by ASTI
