Syrian Refugees: Whose Problem Are They?

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Europe has finally woken up to the flow of Syrian refugees across the Mediterranean. On #IndiaHangOut, our panel of experts discuss which country should absorb these refugees and what is the future for them?

The panel included Prof Jan Semmelroggen of Nottingham Trent University and Vaiju Naravane, International Affairs Commentator, along with Govindraj Ethiraj.

"This refugee crisis did not come out of the blue, it has been building up for the last few years. It was ten years ago that we saw the first boats arrive in Greece. It's only in the last two years, with the geopolitical changes in North Africa - Libya and Tunisia - this problem has exponentially grown. Added to that is the civil war in Syria, the situation in Afghanistan and Iraq. The fact is that Europe is closest for many of these refugees," explained Semmelroggen.

"What is really surprising is the resistance by European leaders like David Cameron, which were willing partners in the coalition which has led to the massive exodus that we are seeing from Iraq and Syria. It is not simply a European problem. I don't understand why the United States is not concerned by what is going on. This question cannot be resolved only at the European level. It needs an international consultation," said Naravane.