What's happening at HSS?
Information and debate on 'Europe's Migrant Crisis', January 16 - 18, 2016 in Irbid / Jordan
2015 has unquestionably been the year of the migrant. The news were dominated for months by pictures of vast crowds shuffling through the borders of yet another European country, sometimes being confronted with antipathy in some places and given a reluctant welcome in others. In some places - Germany, in particular - the warmth of the welcome they were accorded by some groups compared with the hostility from others.
Europe, particularly Germany, exerts a great attraction for the people in crisis areas. For those living in war, political and social oppression and increasingly poverty concepts such as peace, justice and prosperity, for which Europe stands, is something people yearn for.
Unfortunately, most of these people, however, do not have a real picture of what awaits them in the 'new world'. On the contrary. Stubbornly rumors stick among them, which are far from any reality. But unfortunately these rumors, e.g. forced by criminal human traffickers, inspire more and more people in the idea to take the non-hazardous journey into the unknown.
Even though a lot of reliable information e.g. about the situation in Europe or about the conditions for refugees to get asylum, is spread by the media, they are not well known by most of the refugees and the citizen in Jordan especially the youth.
Therefore the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung in co-operation with the 'Arab World Center for Democratic Development - UniHRD' took the opportunity to conduct a workshop
- to enlighten and to increase knowledge
- to explain the difference between refugee and migrant to make sure that the participants can distinguish between both
- to have an idea from where are the migrants and refugees coming from
- to discuss why do refugees and migrants come to Europe and what must be done to ease the crisis
- to answer why the crises is just hitting Europe now
- to get an idea how European countries are responding to the crises and what conditions do migrants face in Europe
- to get to know the curbs that Germany has announced on Syrian refugees
- to discuss the threat of IS to send Europe over the edge cause Syrian migrant could be 'a ticket into Europe'
The participants were asked to compare the impact of the Syria crisis and the situation of refugees in Europe with the situation in Jordan, they discussed the differences and developed recommendations how to help Syrian refugees, how to improve their living conditions and what is needed to support hosting countries like Jordan.
Representatives from ministries, local authorities, NGOs and from the Syrian community in Irbid as well as students from all over Jordan took part at the workshop. During open discussions the participants took the opportunity to express their own opinions and views.