Yesterday, Professor Roger Zetter was asked by CCTV America about the xenophobia seen in Europe as the influx of refugees has grown. He stated that there is a fear expressed by a minority of people and some media that Europe is being overwhelmed and that largescale immigration is out of control. He added, “I think it’s also a fact that the political leadership in Europe, apart from Angela Merkel today…, has been reflecting this minority debate and has not been proactive in challenging the xenophobia that we’re seeing in Europe at the moment.” He commented that, in reality, the numbers arriving are really not that large for a continent of 500 million people, and he believes that the vast majority of Europeans recognize the desperation of those seeking asylum and that we should treat them in a civilised way.
He said “I think the challenge to European leadership is to offer a different kind of narrative to the situation, to not reflect the very small minority views, and the obligation on Europe is to adopt a more responsibility-sharing attitude.”
