OPINION

Preventable reactions

The reaction of some local communities to the children of refugees beginning classes in Greek schools is baffling and condemnable.

It is baffling because the arguments being used against allowing the children to attend classes exhibit ignorance and paranoia. They should be condemned because what lurks behind these kinds of protests is racism and the absence of even the most basic sympathy.

On the other hand, this government’s lack of preparedness in dealing with the refugee issue has been revealed again for all to see.

Even though it knew that several thousand refugee children would remain in the country it did not foresee the kind of reactions described earlier and did not take the necessary steps to prepare the ground.

For instance, it could have raised awareness and entered into dialogue to ensure that these kinds of incidents did not occur. Let’s hope that they will not intensify and spread across the country.

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