Egypt is stridently refusing to take in Palestinian refugees, and has warned the European Union (EU) it will send Europe a million Gazans if they are pressured into opening their border – despite accepting billions in financial assistance from the bloc.
“You want us to take one million people? Well, I am going to send them to Europe. You care about human rights so much – well, you take them,” a senior but so far unnamed Egyptian official told one of his European counterparts this week, according to Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.
This follows King Abdullah II of Jordan insisting there would be “no refugees in Jordan, no refugees in Egypt” at a press conference in Germany.
Egypt’s population has exploded from around 27 million in 1960 to roughly 110 million today, so taking in a million Gazans would not present any serious issues for the country in terms of its demographics or age structure. They would also pose fewer cultural and social issues than in Europe, as both Gazans and Egyptians are predominantly Arabic-speaking Sunni Muslims.
Nevertheless, it is leftist politicians in small European nations even outside the EU, such as Humza Yousaf in Scotland, who seem most keen on taking in Palestinians.
“In the past, people in Scotland and across the UK have opened our hearts and our homes; we’ve welcomed those from Syria, from Ukraine, and many other countries… we must do so again,” said the First Minister – roughly equivalent to a U.S. state governor – whose in-laws are currently in Gaza.
