Europe has rediscovered compassion for refugees – but only if they’re white

“There will be those who imagine that open arms for Ukrainians and fortress Europe for black and brown refugees can and should co-exist. They are wrong, and not only on an obvious moral level. Too many commentators in Europe have already fallen into the trap of separating deserving and undeserving refugees. Their rightful praise for Ukrainians has been laced with references to supposed exceptional qualities such as pluck and fighting spirit. These are insults that are heard and understood by Syrians, Afghans and others, who have been recently received with brutality at some of the same borders and, in the case of Syria, after fighting the same aggressor.” Daniel Howden highlights Europe’s political choices, many of which are based on lies. As a European, I feel a sense of personal embarassment at the double standards that have traditionally been deployed to shield us from having to confront our responisbilities.

www.theguardian.com

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