Opinion / Christopher Cermak
Welcome change
So much has gone wrong in Afghanistan in the past week. However, if there has been one (faint) silver lining in the debate here in the US, it’s the bipartisan nature of calls for Afghans who aided American forces over the past 20 years to be resettled there. Even in Texas, conservative Republican senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz have backed resettlement efforts, recognising that tens of thousands of Afghans risk death if they are not evacuated from a country that is now in Taliban hands.
In an era of “America first” and antipathy towards immigration, it’s worth taking a moment to highlight this. According to resettlement groups, volunteers across the nation have turned out in unprecedented numbers, offering to accommodate Afghans once they have been brought to the US. Yes, there is some opposition and there are calls for screening those who arrive but the general mood is one of recognition that America bears some responsibility for their plight. While the US might no longer be willing to fight Afghanistan’s war – about six in 10 Americans support withdrawal despite its chaotic nature – there’s an understanding that Afghans who backed American troops need help. And there’s anger at the Biden administration for not acting more quickly to get them out of Afghanistan.
The mood reminds me of my time in Germany circa 2015. Refugees from Syria were initially welcomed with open arms; crowds of Germans showed up at train stations to greet the new arrivals (pictured). That mood shifted the following year amid the challenges of integration, a lesson that the US should heed from Europe’s refugee crisis. The looming influx of Afghans must be carefully managed and the refugees properly aided and helped to integrate into society if we want Americans to welcome their new neighbours.