Is providing Value Sensitive services, always a safe and ethical thing to do?

Since January till August 2015, 17115 people in the Netherlands apply for asylum. 6096 Syrians and 5090 Eritreans. In July there has been a sharp grow in refugees from Syria, see figure 1. Worldwide there are 19,5  billion refugees, including 3,9 billion Syrians (VluchtelingenWerk, 2015).

We are dealing with a difficult ethical situation. We’re all human, we all have feelings and a need for safety. But what about the safety and privacy of our own people? Isn’t the safety of our own citizens the priority? I think it is not possible to help other people when you are not helping yourself first. We’re are now giving a service to the refugees, but is this service responsible enough for our own citizens?

As can be seen in the figure 2, the unemployment in the Netherlands doubled between 2008 and 2014. The amount of jobs decreased between 2008 and 2015 with a factor of 1,5. The amount of the long-term unemployed increased with 10% (CBS, 2015). Refugees must work at a cer

tain moment, to earn money. So how could it be possible that refugees find jobs here, while the amount of jobs is low and with a lot of unemployment among the Dutch? I think this is not possible. How will our citizens feel when refugees are getting their jobs? I would be angry and I would have the feeling of injustice. The Dutch party VVD says: “They travel further to the Netherlands because the social facilities and the economic perspectives are the best here” (NRC, 2015) . The refugees pass by seven other countries while coming here, while the head goal of them is to be safe. We’re dealing with economic refugees by then. According to the VVD,  the facilities for the refugees must be retrenched to decrease the amount of refugees.

According to the Volkskrant (2015) and AD (2015) are woman in German asylum centers systematically threatened and raped. When I read this, it really scared me. If this is happening amongst their own people, what will happen with our European woman?

Although we must help the refugees because they are not safe in their own country, could letting them in our own country be a threat for the citizens, which is unfair for them. My conclusion is now: It seems much better to help the refugees in camps within their own region.  Because than they are not a danger for our own citizens and they will get what they need, which is safety.

It is our duty to help persons in need, but this cannot go at the expense of our own citizens. Always look to both sides.

 

CBS (2015). Arbeid en sociale zekerheid. Consulted at the 18th of October 2015, Retrieved from www.cbs.nl

NRC (2015). VVD: maak Nederland onaantrekkelijk voor vluchtelingen. Consulted at the 18th of October 2015, Retrieved from http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2015/10/10/zijlstra-vvd-maak-nederland-onaantrekkelijk-voor-vluchtelingen

VluchtelingenWerk (2015). Feiten & Cijfers. Consulted at the 18th of October 2015, Retrieved from http://www.vluchtelingenwerk.nl/feiten-cijfers

AD (2015) ‘Vrouw niet veilig’: Bende-oorlog en verkrachting in azc. Consulted at the 18th of October 2015, Retrieved from http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1013/Buitenland/article/detail/4143751/2015/09/17/Vrouw-niet-veilig-Bende-oorlog-en-verkrachting-in-azc.dhtml

Volkskrant (2015) Onder vluchtelingen zijn veel religieuze fanatici. Consulted at the 18th of October 2015, Retrieved from www.volkskrant.nl