The Syria refugee crisis has shone a spotlight on the European Union and Britain’s relationship with the EU as David Cameron trots round countries on his mysterious ‘renegotiation’. The mystery surrounding his renegotiation is politically useful as it obscures the content and will hide the areas where the renegotiation has been unsuccessful. It allows the prime minister to return bearing a fig leaf of change, of compromise. Whatever the outcome, it will not be enough for the siren voices of the hard right in the Tory party who will clamour to leave, whatever the deal.
That is why those of us in the Labour Yes campaign have insisted we are right to stay in the EU, as open, outward-looking social democrats who believe we achieve more through common endeavour than we can achieve on our own. The EU, like all politics, is a cumbersome, bureaucratic, imperfect system. But it is the longest and most successful peace process the world has ever seen. It has transformed historic enemies into neighbours and trading partners. It has acted as a beacon of hope to those labouring under the yoke of communism. It has cleaned up our air and our rivers, protected consumers and driven foreign direct investment, innovation and prosperity.
Moving in parallel with Cameron’s renegotiation, the EU’s monumental Syria refugee crisis has gradually been growing. In this, the UK is a laggard not a leader when it comes to helping coordinate the response.
The refugee crisis is not just a political crisis it is a moral crisis and a crisis of leadership.
Last year, the British government showed a spectacular lack of compassion. Foreign Office minister Joyce Anelay said rescue operations in the Mediterranean acted as a pull factor for illegal migration. Rescuing drowning children is not a pull factor, it is the right thing to do, as the British government later realised.
The EU response has lacked competence and it has lacked compassion and coordination. Europe has spent months focused on the Greek economic and political crisis, and ignored the growing humanitarian crisis on its island shores. The EU has been distracted by conflict in Ukraine and growing anxiety about Russia’s ambitions. Now the EU is playing catch-up.
The citizens of Europe have been ahead of the governments of Europe. The photo of Alan Kurdi’s lifeless body on the beach at Bodrum spoke to people’s hearts in a way that politicians of all parties had failed. The #refugeeswelcome hashtag mobilised public opinion. Offers of help and assistance have come pouring in.
Our continent of 500 million people realised that it can welcome and shelter 500,000 refugees.
Lebanon, a country of three million people which I visited in September, simply cannot.
Cameron’s strategy, of using the generosity of the overseas aid budget as an excuse for the UK’s failure to offer safe, legal routes for refugees, is simply unsustainable. Tiny Ireland and Denmark share our opt-out of EU home affairs decisions. But they have shamed us with their generosity in stepping forward to offer to take refugees as part of the EU quota system. Is such an act of goodwill beyond the UK’s capacity? EU leaders have long memories and I have no doubt that his isolationism will ultimately hinder Cameron’s renegotiation plans.
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Mary Creagh is a former shadow secretary of state for international development. She tweets @MaryCreaghMP
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