“SHINE light on dark reality” was Ed Deedigan’s opinion column in the Gazette on January 21, 2016, where he asks us to have more sympathy for refugees fleeing Syria and other war zones, with phrases such as “emotional support and understanding” and “melt your heart”. My problem with his argument is that an emotional response can often make things worse, not better, and what we need is less emotion and more clear thinking.

He states that “the country [Syria] is all but broken beyond repair” and “With its people scattered to the four winds” or more generally around the world “war zones... cannot sustain their populations”. So the idea is that migration from a war zone is a one-way journey and it is our responsibility to absorb all such refugees.

If we look at the war zones in Syria and northern Iraq then of course many have fled but many also remain. The idea that there is a one-way ticket out of the region to Europe will assist IS (Islamic State) in its genocide of many groups including the Assyrian Christians.

Historically, refugees fleeing war zones normally return home once conditions are safe. This is facilitated by having refugee camps as close to their home countries as possible. Jordan and Turkey are therefore better situated for this purpose than Europe. Our goal should be to ensure that refugee camps in these countries are adequately funded and that there is the prospect of stability returning to these war zones as soon as possible.

Those saying “come to Europe” are unwittingly part of the cause of the migration flows and indirectly the human suffering and loss of life associated with such migrations facilitated by people smugglers. People would not undertake such perilous journeys in such numbers if they knew there was no prospect of settlement in Europe.

Ending the conflicts in Syria and northern Iraq is imperative, not only to solve the current refugee problem but also to take back the land held by IS, which will bring their dangerous Caliphate to an end.

It is the existence of this Caliphate that is inspiring IS sympathisers around the world to carry out the most appalling terrorist atrocities. I believe this will require “boots on the ground” and an international effort.

I agree with Ed Deedigan that “Chemical weapons and their use was supposed to be [Obama’s]... ‘red line’” but it was never enforced. The lack of leadership in recent years from the USA in particular has delayed the resolution of this conflict, allowed Russia to increase its influence in the area and increased the price that the West will eventually have to pay.

J SEYMOUR, Chippenham