Sotomayor 1

Raizee Sotomayor
Professor Collins
ENGL1302
4 May 2016
Sharing Responsibility
In 2015 things had reached a boiling point. Thousands of Syrian families who had
relocated to neighboring Turkey were waiting out the civil war in their own country, ready to go
home whenever the conflict was over. The war began in 2011, birthed out of the Arab Spring
protests, but after years of waiting, Syrians living in poor conditions on the outskirts of their
homeland began to realize that there may not be a home to go back to. By the summer of 2015
American media outlets only began reporting on the situation due to images that captured the
harsh reality of some peoples lives the world over. The photographs showed thousands of people
crowded at a Hungarian train station, trapped as they were not wanted to cross the border.
Another photo showed a police officer carrying the body of a small boy off the beach in Turkey
after he drowned trying to reach safer shores with his family. Throughout the whole summer
images of flimsy plastic lifeboats that exponentially exceeded capacity were published in varying
media formats. At times these lifeboats failed, sometimes hundreds of people drowning at once
as they tried to cross the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. The mass exodus of people trekking
northwest to escape terrorism and extreme poverty search for a better life in Europe, but are not
welcomed by everyone. Germany was the first to step up to the responsibility, taking leadership
by announcing that they would accept 500,000 refugees over the next year, something that has
angered Germanys neighbors. Europe and the whole world have been arguing about how to
handle the refugee crisis. How should efforts to help be financed? Where will refugees be

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relocated? How will they get there? What routes should they take? Should they just figure it out
themselves? Or is it Germanys problem? The scale of the crisis currently being written into
history books is much too great for any one country to resolve on its own. It will take every
country working together to help those in need, if not for a sense of moral obligation at least for a
reason based strategically on foreign policy. If a country seeks support and allies in their time of
need, they should offer support to others in their time of need as well. Every country, particularly
those which are members of the European Union closest to the conflict, should be proactive and
let the refugees seek freedom in their countries. This can be accomplished by creating safe routes
and offering asylum and combating xenophobia by promoting integration.
Granting asylum and making a way for people to arrive safely and easily to a better place
is step one in the process of aiding oppressed refugees. All it would take is compassion and
cooperation from government leaders and citizens in regions most affected by the migration
crisis. Asylum is all that most refugees seek. Asylum Aid defines asylum as giving someone
permission to remain in another country because of that risk of persecution (Asylum Aid).
According to Amnesty International, there are currently nineteen million refugees worldwide,
more than four million from Syria alone in the past year (8 Ways). In other words, it is the
biggest refugee crisis since World War Two. Syrians fleeing to Europe feel a sense of safety in
numbers, which is why so many are suddenly knocking on Europes door. The European Union
can deal with the numbers, as long as every country pulls its weight. However, refugees need
support, not just permission to stay in a country and struggle on the streets. They need to know
that they have permission to begin living again. They are people too, who want to go to school,
get a job, find a proper home, play sports and celebrate holidays but when they are stopped at
borders, given a hard time as they apply for asylum and forced to take dangerous journeys,

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everyday living is not feasible. Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International agree on
similar action the EU should take to help those seeking asylum and new life in Europe.
Offering designated, safe routes and monitoring these routes is not just a solution; it is
something that must be done to avoid a complete humanitarian disaster. Those coming from the
South cross bodies of water while those from the East travel by land, sometimes walking miles
and miles to arrive in Europe. The problems with crossing borders by land were displayed in the
drama that unfolded at the Hungarian Train Station while the problems with traveling by sea are
seen daily as smugglers and trafficking gangs take advantage of those desperate to leave,
charging thousands for an unsafe and unreliable journey. Instead of focusing on corralling
migrants into refugee camps, seas should be monitored to crack down on those who exploit basic
human rights. Human Rights Watch believes that those vessels smuggling people should not be
turned back around but rather reach EU territory to avoid smuggled people being sent back to
deplorable and inhumane conditions (Europes Refugee). The waters should also be monitored
by officials who are trained to perform rescue operations to avoid tragedy at sea. Amnesty
International writes that the EU could invest financially in these operations (8 Ways), which can
be carried out by the European Boarder and Coast Guard Agency.
Xenophobia is defined as an extreme dislike of people from other countries. It can be a
dislike of any culture by members of any culture and is seen in all parts of the world. In the
United States, racial tension between African Americans and whites have always existed due to
the early American form of slavery based on race; however, the cultural clash in the United
States most similar to that in Europe would be Hispanic immigrants crossing the border in search
of a better life. Although the scale to which U.S. borders are crossed and the scale of which
European borders are currently being crossed is incomparable, the xenophobic attitudes are the

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same. U.S. Presidential candidates proposing to build a wall to further separate cultures and
people are only increasing fear and promoting hate. In order to make the European situation
better for everyone, the EU should model their actions after those displayed in one of their own
member states.
In 2015, Germanys decision to accept 500,000 refugees was an idea spearheaded by
German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Considered one of the most powerful women in the world,
many of her countrymen followed her leadership of walking in kindness and compassion. In the
time since Merkels announcement, Germans themselves may have unlocked the key to
successful integration. The answer is fully accepting people into the culture, accepting them as
equals with full rights and recognition as citizens just like everyone else. This is done by
integration rather than assimilation. One of the best examples of proper integration is found in
Germanys soccer community. Soccer, known as football everywhere else besides the U.S., is a
world sport whose international aspects have been described by Eric Arthur Blair (more
famously known by his pen name: George Orwell) as the continuation of war by other means
(AZ Quotes). Many clubs and players have realized the influence of their game and have taken a
stand against both terrorism and xenophobia.
In the fall of 2015, German football club Bayern Munich announced the ways it planned
to support refuges. The clubs press release states, FC Bayern via its youth section plans to
establish a Training camp for refugees over the coming weeks Kids and youths will train at
FC Bayern at intervals to be determined later, take German classes, and be provided with meals
and football kit (Refugee Crisis). By offering language lessons and camps to teach children how
to play soccer, refugees feel a sense of belonging. One reason why Germany may be so willing to
accept diverse immigrants is because of its good relationship with diverse citizens who have

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positively contributed to the country. The best example is Mesut Ozil, a soccer star in Germany
who is of Turkish descent and identifies himself as a practicing Muslim. He impressed fans with
his performance in the 2010 world cup, and further exemplified his skills four years later when
he helped Germany win the 2014 world cup. In 2010 he was awarded a Bambi award for being
a prime example of successful integration within German society (Martin). Later, Ozil stated,
"Integration creates something new and makes for a more colourful Germany (Martin). The
soccer community as a whole has also stepped up to help the refugees. The soccer world has
recognized efforts by clubs, offering the FIFA fair play award to all football clubs and
organizations that are supporting refugees.
The Syrian Civil War is something that will only be resolved by the Syrian people. It may
take a while for the war to end but the European Union and the rest of the world can help those
in need. At the end of the day it is always best to be kind and compassionate. Whether it is
through soccer, music, language or food acceptance into the culture and customs of the local
community is the key to successful integration. Refugees are tired and most often left with
nothing, but if people know that they have friends and support they will always survive and
thrive. Germany has decided that the best way to combat fear and hatred is by enjoying a good
football game with some new friends. It is time for the rest of the European Union to join them.

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Works Cited
8 Ways to Solve the World Refugee Crisis. Amnesty.org Amnesty International., n.d. Web. 4
Apr. 2016.
Asylum Aid. Asylum Aid. AA, 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
AZ Quotes. AZ Quotes. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.
Europe's Refugee Crisis. hrw. Human Rights Watch, 16 Nov. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
Martin, Michelle. Soccer stars steal show at Germanys Bambi Awards. Reuters.com. Reuters
TV, 12 Nov. 2010. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.
Refugee crisis: FC Bayern pledges substantial financial, material and practical aid. Fcbayern.
FC Bayern Munchen, 9 Mar. 2015. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.