The West lays out a wider welcoming mat for those fleeing the Taliban than it did in 2015 for fleeing Syrians.
Six years ago, when tens of thousands of people fled Syria’s conflict, Western countries panicked at the refugee flows. Politics in the United States and Europe turned sharply against migration, boosting a rise in populist politicians. Today, with more than 100,000 Afghans so far airlifted from Kabul after the Taliban’s takeover, the welcome mat is wider.
Instead of panic, there is a compassion. One good sign: On Sunday, nearly 100 countries agreed to keep their doors open to those fleeing Afghanistan.
One big difference from the Syrian refugee crisis is that the West has learned how to better screen an exodus of refugees, which helps lessen fears of terrorists or other dangerous people joining the migration. Another change is a newly formed consensus on the benefits from migrants. In late 2018, the United Nations General Assembly approved the Global Compact on Refugees, a nonbinding agreement to better integrate refugees into host countries, enhance their self-reliance, and aid them in returning to their home countries.
