Europe knows very well what being an emigrant means, and even more when the cause is war.  From the great migrations to America of the late 19th century, passing by the refugees of the two world wars, dictatorships or the various conflicts of the 20th century, Europe has produced emigrants, and all the countries that provided refuge to Europeans have benefited economically, intellectually and culturally.

 

And precisely the conflicts of the 20th century, especially the European ones, led to the signing of the Convention relating to the Status of the Refugees in 1951, guaranteeing a minimum of international rights to lessen the terrible consequences of situations like the one we are witnessing. Rights that we have agreed on for over 60 years and that in light of current events it is increasingly urgent and necessary that we continue to fulfill them.  It is not only a legal responsibility but also an ethical, moral and historical one.

 

Our globalized modernity is characterized by a high degree of social and geopolitical complexity. Following the deep interconnection that globalization stands for, the migration issue concerns everyone, and we are obliged to do everything possible in order to find a solution to the present crisis situation.  We must understand that refugees have been forced to confront a very dangerous route during which has killed an enormous amount of their loved ones in their desperate attempt to normalize their lives far away from the war horrors and the least that we can do is welcome them with understanding, empathy tolerance and give them the basic tools for them to restore their lives, in coexistence with ours.

 

We must be provide to those who we receive the minimum necessary tools to guarantee their complete integration:The language and an intensive socio-cultural training¿Where do we begin to fix this mess? ¿What bases must we lay in order to find a convincing solution in the long term?  The answer to these questions is no other than to lay bridges.  It is obvious that neither Europe, nor an of its member countries seeks to encourage xenophobia and they cannot self-impose ostracism and closes its borders, denying in this way the reality of this conflict as the one of the globalized world. But it is also obvious that if we welcome refugees and other migrants, it must be a continuous and structured task, not a simple empty gesture of good will to clean consciences. It is of no use to open the door if once inside they are abandoned to their own luck in a hostile environment, without family or social support structures and with the need to survive

 

The greatest source of peace is mutual understanding and empathy. And that can only be reached, promoting a sincere welcoming culture, seeking the immigrants complete integration in the new social environment through the socio-cultural learning and to this we mush add the recognition of the migrants as productive members of the society by the native population. In this way, social ties and mutual interests will be created and through the exchange of continuous experiences, the bases of solidarity will be set.

 

Therefore, we must take up the challenge of creating an efficient, meaningful and comprehensive model for the reception and integration of immigrants and refugees; and face the current problems with structured and well-managed solutions, not only to cover their most immediate needs, but to provide them with the right tools that will guarantee a complete integration in the long term. If we accomplish this urgent and unavoidable task, we will be able to see progress on the road to peace. If we manage to take these urgent and unavoidable steps, we will be able to see progress on the path towards peace with our counterparts by reducing the mutual mistrust and prejudice, thus reducing the possibility of a conflictive or tragic outcome. A completely integrated migrant will not see his neighbor as “the other”, “the enemy”, but he will be like him and between counterparts, any understanding is possible, even above international boundaries.