Refugees: Richer countries must shoulder burden
In his statement on Saturday, Guterres called on the world’s richer nations to “shoulder collectively the burden of helping the victims of war” or risk letting less wealthy nations — which take in 86% of the world’s refugees — become overwhelmed and unstable.
“Since the beginnings of civilization, we have treated refugees as deserving of our protection. Whatever our differences, we have recognized a fundamental human obligation to shelter those fleeing from war and persecution,” he said.
“Yet today, some of the wealthiest among us are challenging this ancient principle, casting refugees as gate crashers, job seekers or terrorists. This is a dangerous course of action, short-sighted, morally wrong, and — in some cases — in breach of international obligations.”
History indicates, Guterres said, that offering safe harbor and support to the victims of war and persecution breeds goodwill and prosperity in the longer term, as well as fostering stability.
“We have the solutions and the expertise. It won’t be easy or cheap, but it will be worth it,” he said. (CNN)