Refugee crisis calls for compassion and pragmatism

This will spark ongoing, heated debates about the tension between humanitarian concerns and the manageability of migration, in terms of employment, social cohesion and healthcare.

At the end of the day, we must face the problem of mass migration with a strong dose of pragmatism. Developed nations simply can't take in everybody and we need to ensure that asylum seekers are distinct from economic migrants.

Politicos who promise quick and easy answers to the questions posed by sudden migrations are either disingenuous or intellectually lightweight. There are no easy answers.

Pragmatism will remain a vital component in decision-making on migration. Yet pragmatism must be tempered with compassion. Genuine asylum seekers must be afforded the right to protection and relocation.

When dealing with the vexed tensions between humanitarianism and pragmatism, our governments will make mistakes.

Yet if they err, when they err, it should always be on the side of compassion and generosity – at least where genuine asylum seekers are concerned.