Humanity beware!

So far all governmental responses appear to lack humanity. Responses also appear to avoid the causes of the problem. National sovereignty and lack of any international forum with the respect and 'clout' to deal with this issue is hindering any real attempt to solve the causes of cross continent migration.

The cross continental refugee crisis is a universal problem caused by uneven distribution of wealth and resources, rapidly growing populations in particular regions, which has made life for a percentage of the planet's population totally unsustainable.

If, and there is no evidence to indicate that this is a temporary problem, massive refugee migration continues, then a number of potential consequences may surely arise.

First, conflicts are very likely to develop and erupt between neighbouring countries. There is a trend towards exclusion and repatriating problems back to the country of origin. Borders are likely to be closed in the future as the means to prevent migration. Some countries may go a step further and classify refugees as invaders. Tensions may grow along many select borders in the future.

Secondly, simply diplomatic 'spats' between neighbours could easily develop into much tenser situations. The recent tension over the Bali Nine executions was lucky not to escalate. This time a sense of maturity was maintained. What if out of anger the Indonesian authorities just started turning a blind eye to boats loaded with refugees departing for Australia? It would have been a disaster for Australian authorities.

Thirdly, this inept attitude by most world governments is allowing the creation of perhaps one of the largest illicit industries yet, potentially much larger than narcotics. We have seen people smugglers cruelty along the Malaysian-Thai border just in the last few days, and unfortunately there will be more to come. The people smuggling industry will grow almost unhindered while governments fail tackle the real issues in the countries of refugee origin.

Finally, as long as extreme inequality and poverty is not tackled in Africa, and South Asia, the developed world will remain open to invasion. Australia cannot afford to support hundreds of thousands of refugees in detention camps offshore. Nor can Europe, or the transit countries in SE Asia.

The current world demographics cannot be ignored, because inaction will create the biggest threat to national sovereignties that has ever occurred, much bigger than any war in the past.

The fact that the world has chosen urbanization of the prime means of habitation leaves many countries open to strangulation, if cross continental migration continues to grow exponentially. If extremely large numbers of refugees flock into already overlarge cities, many cities will not be able to take the strain. Infrastructure may just collapse, urban transport will be inadequate, unemployment dramatically increase, food and water shortages occur due to supply chain stress, making cities almost totally unmanageable. The sustainability of cities will come under threat.

Mass cross continental migration is indeed a universal problem that national governments cannot deal with individually. This is a matter that all governments need to deal with together. Humanity must learn to think as a planet and learn how to see above their respective territorial perspectives.

The decision making models that exist within the world today are self-destructive and may represent an even graver threat to humanity than the potential of nuclear war and climate change.