ABC The Minefield | Syrian Refugee Crisis: Is current compassion obscuring a long-term catastrophe?
John Keane
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Aired on Thursday 10 September 2015 11:30AM
Over the last five years, the phenomenon of mass displacement and forced migration has posed intractable political problems for Western nations and sparked an upsurge in popularity for Europe’s anti-immigrant political parties.
In recent weeks the empathy-evoking quality of certain images has led to an outpouring of compassion and a determination to act.
But the West does not have a particularly good history of dealing with ethnic difference.
Is this mass-scale acceptance of refugees laying the foundations for profound social conflict in the decades to come?
Supporting Information
Scott, Waleed and their guest this week Professor John Keane kept chatting after the program went to air. Listen to that extra conversation.