The Refugee Crisis: How Europe is Trying to Keep Them in Turkey
Giving out millions in relief to refugees
By Seth McGinn, Marketing —
There are over three million Syrian refugees living in Turkey, and many of them are desiring better economic opportunities that exist in the rest of Europe. Hoping to avoid a mass flood of Syrian refugees across Europe, the European Union has proposed a plan to attempt to keep these refugees in Turkey. Surprisingly, the plan involves trusting refugees with debit cards.
Modern Solution to a Modern Problem
The EU has decided to dish out $375 million in relief for one million of the refugees who are most in need. More dazzling than that quantity of relief funding is the way in which the EU plans to distribute the money—through one million debit cards. Each debit card will provide access to $30 per month for each refugee who receives one. Although this may not sound like much, it will go a long way in helping those in the direst of circumstances, giving them the flexibility to spend it on necessary food, shelter, and healthcare. EU officials are hoping that this modern solution to helping refugees will help them feel like they are a part of the modern economy in Turkey. Instead of putting the money into truckloads of rice, this solution is aimed towards not only helping refugees change their financial situation, but also changing their mentality that they are a normal part of an economy that needs them. Essentially, if refugees can see themselves as modern citizens of the Turkish economy, they can stop dreaming about fleeing to other countries in Europe and begin investing their energy in finding jobs and making a home in Turkey. They will hopefully feel much needed control over their own lives, giving them dignity and confidence.
Risks of This Modern Solution & Trusting Refugees
The positive flexibility of this debit card solution produces equally negative risks. Trusting Syrian refugees with debit card funds that can be withdrawn as cold hard cash always provides opportunities for the funds to be used unwisely. Whether it is for drugs, weapons, or simply unnecessary things, this program will provide some refugees the opportunity to waste away this tax payer money. These risks bring up the question that all countries with refugees are currently facing: how can we know if we can trust these refugees?
With a variety of screening processes employed by various countries, there still remains some uncertainty as to what the intents are of these refugees. Innovative technology being developed in the United States may provide a solution for accurate, quick, and affordable deception detection testing. EyeDetect technology uses infrared cameras to measure pupillary responses to detect truthfulness. As a more modern polygraph test, EyeDetect can be easily deployed to help countries verify the intents and motives of refugees during a time where nobody wants to let terrorists into their countries. For more information about EyeDetect or to talk to representative, visit https://converus.com/and see if EyeDetect could help keep your borders secure. In this situation, Turkish officials could employ an EyeDetect test to ensure that the debit cards are only handed out to Syrian refugees with intent to utilize the funds to assist them in their needs.
