LONDON – Can a picture save thousands of lives?
The photograph of drowned toddler Alan Kurdi, his little body lying face down on a beach in Turkey, undoubtedly moved the hearts and minds of many in the United Kingdom, both citizens and senior officials.
A BBC poll about the refugee crisis that has overwhelmed Europe shows that Britons who have seen the image are 40 percent more likely to agree to more refugees in the country.
The UK Home Office has confirmed that the first of the 20,000 Syrian refugees expected in Britain have arrived, part of the government’s program to resettle 4,000 refugees each year until 2010, under its protection scheme.
However, the same poll asked whether the image should change the UK policy on immigration: 68 percent of those polled said “no.”
The survey, conducted before British Prime Minister David Cameron’s announcement to host 20,000 Syrian refugees, reveals that 57 percent of people in the UK are in favor of the status quo, or the government taking fewer refugees from Syria and Libya.
John, 51, who preferred to be identified only by his first name, believes two things influenced Cameron’s decision to take in more asylum seekers: one was the welcoming attitude of Germany, which expects to receive some one million refugees by the end of the year; the other was the picture of the dead four-year-old.
In a tweet earlier this month, Cameron himself admitted: “As a father, I felt deeply moved by the sight of that young boy on a beach in Turkey.”
According to the Independent newspaper, citing figures released by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), one third of people donating money, goods or their time to refugees were moved to act following the publication of Kurdi’s image.
In a country where half the population think the government is taking in too many refugees – as a YouGov poll for The Sun newspaper reveals -- people like John who welcome refugees are concerned about the new arrivals.
“They shouldn’t be brought to a hostile environment,” he said, “concerns, no matter how small, have to be addressed.”
Daniel Monge, a 31-year-old hair dresser who said he has seen the image, believes it is unfair for him to live in the comfort of his house in London, while Syrian refugees are dying in the sea. “Therefore, I welcome the refugees, even if it affects my business,” he said
