In Hong Kong, we must open our eyes to the refugees in our midst
Tony Read calls for a better response to the suffering of refugees at our doorstep before it overwhelms us
People in Hong Kong may be forgiven for thinking that many thousands of miles safely separates them from the refugee crisis in Europe and that at least the city is not on these people's list of places to get to. As European Union nations struggle to cope with an increasing influx, it is worth noting the dilemmas that governments and nations are facing.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has declared that the EU is founded on humanitarian principles and therefore should be united in a positive response to those seeking refuge from war, devastation and poverty. However, it is increasingly obvious that the union's response is fragmented and that many of the humanitarian principles it has adopted are being severely strained.
The death by drowning of Aylan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian boy, has turned the tide of public opinion. The horrors of the Mediterranean Sea crossing have brought the public to its feet in sympathy and protest, after a photograph of his little body lying on the seashore went viral on social media.
This outpouring of sympathy and support was in sharp contrast to some governments' measured responses so far, particularly the UK government's. Other EU counties have tried to resist the onslaught with barbed wire fences and some form of regulated processing.
It is not good enough to think it has no relevance to us because it is happening elsewhere
The scale of the problem does seem overwhelming. The UN estimates that over 310,000 people have crossed the Mediterranean this year already - a 40 per cent increase over the whole of last year. Among the number this year, some 2,500 have died or gone missing. Add to that the 3.5 million Syrian migrants housed in refugee camps across Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, and one can see why EU governments are worried.