all four of those countries, are somewhere between 10 and 15 million people. All four of those countries have agreed to take north of 50,000 refugees. To put that into perspective, that would be like America taking in 1.5 million refugees, because we are 30 times bigger than those countries. Do you know what this country would do if we announced we were taking in 1.5 million Syrian refugees?” The sheer size of the crisis, compared to the size of the European countries trying to handle it, has Lash concerned about the realistic ability of these countries to successfully accommodate refugees. “When I went to Austria in November, they had used a Band- Aid to get through the winter: they bought 1,000 heated tents [for the refugees], and Austria is a pretty cold country,” Lash says. “They
a country like Austria which has less than 10 million people. That would alter their balance sheet significantly.” So if these countries have to deal with the refugees already there, and they have to provide an acceptable budget but cannot afford that budget, what are they to do? Lash’s proposed solutions involve spreading the refugees out over more countries, or centralizing the refugees in European Union- sponsored cities, both with the goal of lessening the burden for each country individually. “Everyone has to step up, and I think the EU has to make an edict, that says, ‘Every country takes in 0.5% of their population.’ For example, Germany has about 100 million people, so they would take 500,000 refugees.
did the best they could on short notice– nobody could have predicted that millions of people would be coming across the borders–but the fact is these people are there in Europe to stay, and they have got to be treated as human beings. They have to be given quality housing and food, and an ample opportunity to get educated and find jobs in the local economy, or both the refugees and the countries are going to have huge problems going forward.” Lash is well aware of the horrible realities facing refugees at poorly constructed camps, like the one in Calais, France, known as “the jungle.” He has seen firsthand what can happen when people are trapped in environments that don’t provide themwith basic necessities. “If you treat the refugees the way the French are in Calais, you’ll need more security, because those conditions are
Or, the EU should sponsor very large refugee cities that process the refugees, the way we do in Dilley… This would allow Europe to catch its breath, find out who these refugees are, their backgrounds, their skillsets, and find them proper homes in countries that have agreed to accept them. There are members of the EU that have stepped up and said that they will take their fair share, but it’s not enough.” When asked if the United States ought to take in its share of Syrian refugees, Lash says yes, but quickly turns his attention to the responsibilities of our allies in the Middle East. “One of the most screwed up things about this whole refugee crisis from Syria, is that our allies in the Middle East aren’t taking in their fair share of people
abominable–inadequate toilets, showers, sinks, laundry, housing, food, you name it. If you put thousands of people in a junkyard, they’re going to react, and react violently.” “European countries need to allocate the proper amount of money to get these people resettled in a professional way, so that they can eventually contribute to the growth of their new countries and the economy.” Attheendoftheday,eachcountry’sabilitytosuccessfullyaccommodate refugees boils down to howmuch they are willing to spend, and as Lash explains, Austria was not willing to spend nearly enough. “I was in discussions with the Austrians, I met with their office of refugee resettlement, and they announced their budget is €19 per person per day–which is basically just over $21–to house them and feed them three meals a day. We politely recused ourselves from that opportunity, because at €19, we can’tmakemoney, andwe alsowouldn’t be proud of the product that we’d be delivering…We are not going to do something that doesn’t offer quality food, accommodations, and sanitary conditions, and at €19 we just can’t do that.” Lash declares that €50 per person per day is a price point he feels can provide the refugees decent housing, food, and janitorial facilities, but he understands how that number could feel impossible to a small country like Austria. “Let’s look at €50 per person per day. That’s €1 billion a year, for
of the same religion, same culture, same language, who eat the same food and live in the same climate. Namely: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, United Arab Emirates. These are five of the richest countries on earth per capita. Why aren’t refugee camps being set up in these countries? Admittedly, you’ve got the Sunnis and the Shiites and the Kurds and there’s a lot of violence between them, but, leaving that aside… these refugees are having huge difficulty dealing with the climate in Europe, the food, and Saudi Arabia and UAE can afford to take in these refugees. Why aren’t they?” Lash does not pretend to have all the answers, but what he does have is invaluable experience in the logistical realities of creating temporary refugee housing facilities, and a genuine interest in the rights and livelihoods of people seeking asylum. “There’s a lot to get your arms around with this situation. We have talked [over the course of the interview] about political philosophy, humanitarian philosophy, business philosophy, and they are all intertwined here. Am I a mercenary? To some degree. Am I a humanitarian? 100%.” --- A native of Boston, MA, Noam Waksman is one of New York City’s newest residents. He works in digital marketing and is a lover of all things comedy, literature, and sports. * WESTONMAGAZINEGROUP.COM 51
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