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Whats in a name

In today’s blog post we will be examining the language used to describe the people affected by the humanitarian crisis that is engulfing Europe and looking into the U.K Government’s decision to take in 20,000 refugees over the next five years.

Immigrant, Migrant or Refugee?

Juliet:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Do the words we use impact how we view something? Shakespeare’s view is that a name is but a label and does not create meaning. The instrinic value of a thing is unrelated to its name. However, Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee; can these words change our view on the person they describe? These terms have been frequently and interchangeably used by media outlets over the last two months in relation to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Europe. However, do these words mean the same thing? How do they differ? What can their usage tell us about the media’s, and by extension the British Public’s, views in regards to the people who are labelled with them? Firstly, let us examine their meanings.

Immigrant: A person who leaves one country to settle permanently in another.

Migrant: An itinerant worker who travels from one area to another in search of work.

Refugee: One who flees, especially to another country, seeking refuge from war, political oppression, religious persecution, or a natural disaster.

Whilst these terms are similar they are equally different and create a certain perspective in regards to the person they are describing. However, for as different or as similar as these terms may be, it is clear from their descriptions that they are not interchangeable. Whilst immigrant suggests a permanent settler and migrant suggests a temporary one, the word refugee is clearly distinct from the two.

Unfortunately, from the way the narrative has been framed by the press many are uninformed as to the meanings of these words and thus the motives of the people affected by them. Far too often are the refugees, seeking protection and refuge from circumstances beyond their control, are labelled as migrants which changes how the public views them.

Whilst the refugees may want to work their primary motive for entering Europe is often the fear of percussion in their country of origin and the fear for their own safety. They are indeed immigrants, however, it is important to understand their motive for migration when we as a society label them and by extension try and to understand and assist them. One thing however is clear, the terms immigrants, migrants and refugees will remain misused by the press and the people who are immigrants, migrants and refugees will be misunderstood by the public until a greater effort is made to clarify these various meanings. The liberal misuse of these distinct terms is rather unfair as it creates misunderstanding and directly impacts how we think of these people. In order to change public perception and educate the public it is important that the press use these terms correctly.

Last week the Government announced that it would be accepting 20,000 Syrian refugees over the following five years. Supporters praised the government’s decision to assist refugees directly from UN refugee camps in Syria citing that it would discourage the often deadly journey that refugees have taken to arrive in Europe. However, with Germany accepting 800,000 refugees this year alone critics have labelled the numbers as inadequate and urged the government to accept more. However, Downing Street has defended the figures and cited the amount of foreign aid that the U.K provides as an example of how the Government is trying to improve and stabilise the regions where the refugees are from. Whilst the U.K is ranked second globally in terms of development aid given questions still arise over the effectiveness of this funding in real world terms. What is clear however is that although the figures are low and the U.K could accept more refugees it is a positive step in assisting these desperate people.

Do you think the Government should accept more refugees? How does the labels and language used change how you view immigrants, migrants and refugees? Let us know by commenting below!

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