Ingo Schulze, a German author, is fed up with the way the EU treats. He and 1,000 writers from 26 countries are appealing in an open letter to politicians and society to make Europe more welcoming to refugees. In his view he thinks in the broader sense, taking in refugees has to do with hospitality. But a guest is usually someone who comes voluntarily, plans a journey, and is prepared to enter into an unknown situation. A refugee, on the other hand, is in an emergency situation. And we’re talking here about the responsibility that we bear as individuals and as states. Mr. Ingo continues, it’s important that the politicians we’ve elected hear our expectations and wishes. We, as citizens of Europe, have to bear more responsibility for those who need protection and support. Things cannot continue as they are. And as many people as possible need to communicate that in as many places as possible. The opponents of better asylum policies are speaking loudly and violently. We can’t just tolerate that and leave it to the police and justice system. In hindsight, it seems incomprehensible that only a few countries took in Jewish refugees during the Nazi era. Now we are witnessing mass mortality on the Mediterranean. Why aren’t we doing more to help? It’s not that those in power are bad people and don’t want to spend money on protecting the coastline and implementing rescue operations. It’s the political will – and ultimately the will of those who elect the politicians – to make it as difficult as possible for refugees to come to Europe. There’s no other option but for Europe to face up to the consequences of colonialism, the Cold War and neo-colonialism. In the case of the Second World War, what the Germans did in the world is relatively well documented. Germany was exempted from a lot and received a lot of support, at least in the western part.