Estherreicherin – welcome to my daily life

Labels should not decide between life and death, because everyone has the right to live. Refugees were mainly people from developing nations (new for ‘’third world’’ countries) but are getting labeled nowadays. With war crimes in the Ukraine, the term ‘European refugee’ has come up more frequently. For me, every refugee should be treated the same because labeling them not only gives them another name but might come hand in hand with privileges others do not get.

Everyone should have the right to safety no matter where they are from. Certain countries may prefer European citizens as refugees, but every refugee should be treated equally. One’s passport should not define if one is allowed to cross the border when it comes to fleeing one’s country due to war or another severe crisis. When crimes put people’s lives at risk, the most important aspects are safety and protection. This basic human right applies to every human, no matter if European or not.

Furthermore, equality should be maintained by not labelling people. Calling someone a refugee is already a label. Not putting people in boxes could help not to remind the fleeing people of what they had to go and are going through. Each and everyone has a name. We can refer to them as however they want to be called. A ‘European refugee’ is as much a refugee as a ‘developing nations refugee’ and therefore should get equal treatment. One’s nationality does not determine one’s value. Everyone is equal and should be treated that way.

Contradictory, some people would say that labeling makes sense when one is living in the European Union. Being a citizen of a country part of the European Union brings privileges with it. One has the freedom to travel within the borders of the EU as a citizen of one of the 27 member states, for example. Therefore, they should also be prioritized when it comes to being a refugee and getting help first. Being a European citizen should have benefits, whether the state is officially part of the EU or not. Where people come from does matter and determines in which way they should receive help, but that should not be the case.

To sum up, labeling does exist when it comes to refugees. ‘European refugees’ might get better or different treatment than others due to their origin. By labeling them, they get put into boxes and might be retraumatized as they get reminded of the state they are in. I believe in safety and equality no matter where one is from. Let’s call every refugee by their name and not by their origin.