US-led Iraq war root cause of refugee crisis: Pundit

Press TV has interviewed Ian Williams, a senior analyst at Foreign Policy in Focus from New York, and Robert Evans, a former member of the European parliament from London, about the role of Western countries in the chaos created by the influx of asylum seekers into Europe.

Williams says the West’s policies in the Middle East have worsened the situation in the region, especially in Syria, adding that the violence in the war-torn country could spill over into Lebanon and other states.

He adds that the crises fueled by foreign elements in Syria and Yemen have forced thousands of people from both nations to seek asylum in other countries, particularly European ones.

One of the main root causes of the current crises in the Middle East seems to be the 2003 US-led war on Iraq, which was waged without a UN mandate, the analyst notes.

Williams says the world experienced similar refugee crises during the two world wars.

Evans, for his part, says Europe should take responsibility to address the refugee crisis, adding that European authorities are expected to adopt a common and useful strategy to resolve the problems of asylum seekers.

The ongoing refugee crisis has been exacerbated by the failure of Europeans to take coordinated measures to help those who have fled their war-stricken countries.

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