Syrians (and not just them) are fleeing from war and persecution. They didn’t wake up and said let’s hike to Turkey, swim in the Aegean, sleep rough, be bullied by armed forces, probably die along the road, so that we can be laborers in Europe where far-right has never been as strong as today since the 30s. Also, the status and the treatment of the refugee is not the same as to that of the immigrant according to international law, so it's not a peripheral issue. It is the central issue and if it's not resolved there can be no treatment.

As to the demographic threat, Europe has a population of 740 million. Refugees thus far are how many? 400,000? — Πετροκότσυφας

I don't know why the immigrants/refugees should be excessively bothered by 'far right' politics. Middle East politics make even the 'far right' parties of Europe look libertarian by comparison. The "migragees" aren't bringing any sort of liberal, democratic political traditions with them. the political habits they were born into doesn't make them bad people, but it doesn't recommend them as highly desirable permanent members of democratic societies either.

Europe has 740 million people, but the distribution of middle-eastern migragees is going to be nothing like even. Ten million Mexicans might not be a lot of migragees in the US either, if they were evenly distributed, but they are not. (And a lot of the migragees here didn't get processed when they arrived, either. They just walked in and made themselves at home.)

Foresightedness would be a good idea. The world is going to see more and more spontaneous and all-round unwelcome movement of populations across borders as climate causes insurmountable negative change, and as wars and economic adversity disrupt life. Plans are needed. For instance, how are India and Burma going to cope with Bangladeshis who will eventually be flooded out of their low-lying lands? Planning should begin when there is time to plan carefully, but prudent foresight is not generally our species' specialty.

Generous, joyous, and open handed acceptance of waves of people arriving on one's doorstep (for an unknown duration of residence) isn't characteristic of our species either. It isn't that we never do, or can't, but it isn't reasonable to expect it to happen just because some people think that's what we should do. Foresight and planning will mean that migragees will hear "yes" sometimes and "no" at other times.

Gad! Not 40 members yet and already people are bitching and carping. Maybe if this white is too painful, disco2. you should reduce the brightness of your monitor. Or read through a glass darkly. People are just never never satisfied.

I am not impressed by what the new PF owners have said so far. The whole thing still doesn't make sense.

Anyway, it's good to see the familiar names of writers I have enjoyed for several years. It's a new day.