Shocking images of innocent people being pushed back by Greek authorities in the seas only – and thankfully – to being rescued by the Turkish coast guard make for alarming headlines. What is going on in one of the wealthiest regions of the world, aka Western Europe? Who issues the orders in complete opposion to standard values of dignity and humanity? And how come EU headquarters turn a blind eye vis-a-vis Athens’ deplorable behavior, again and again?

To begin with, the developments must be considered in the broader picture. Take the Republic of Turkey, which is currently hosting almost 4 million people in need from neighboring Syria, as an example. Doing the math, we realize that Turkey gives shelter to a figure comparable to almost 5% of its population, and even more if we add other nationalities.

Modern Turkey is not in a position to accommodate such large numbers of men, women and children who were forced to flee their homelands in order to survive. Like every country across the globe, public budgets are stretched to their limits and even more so amid the pandemic. Nevertheless, Ankara went ahead and welcomed the refugees with open arms and only at a much later stage asked for financial support from Brussels – not the other way around, as has become almost the norm in Europe along the lines of "first I get EU funds, then I deliver on projects."

Turkey constructed tent villages made out of solid materials and not "secondhand" dwellings where few decent citizens would set foot; however, the strategy was from day one to house as many refugees as possible in regular accommodations. Ankara knew that first and foremost a safe place to sleep and stay is what a refugee requires and deserves. If we compare those sites with camps across the Aegean Sea in Greece – calling them makeshift would still be a compliment of sorts – one understands the nature of Turkish hospitality.

Turkey quickly rolled out plans to offer educational opportunities for children from Syria to give at least the younger generation hope and a brighter perspective. Some classes were held in the camps, others in local schools. This process started long before refugees had even considered thinking about if and when to return to their homelands and before they had obtained permanent resident status. If we compare this to other countries, hosting refugees there often entails a rather extended bureaucratic process.

Let us give another example. Handing out cash to a refugee is one thing, integrating them step by step into the society of their newfound lands is an altogether different undertaking. Soon after numbers reached unexpected heights, Ankara offered prepaid bank cards to refugees so that they can take care of their own food and sanitary needs instead of waiting for aid deliveries. Those cards were accepted in camps and local neighborhood stores. Managing one’s own family budget once again, even a much-reduced family budget when compared to before, and one day returning to normality by finding employment and managing a "real" bank account is an integral part of finding one’s way in a foreign society.

Seldom have I heard about comparable efforts in Greece or any other EU member state. There the opening of a bank account as a migrant is all but impossible, and long lines form outside post offices or welfare cash centers.

These three examples out of a much longer list are meant to demonstrate to our dear audience that it is not just about numbers, it is about human rights, dignity and humankind in general. When it becomes clear that a person is in search of shelter and at least in the medium term is unable to return home, integration into the society of the host country is an absolute must. Elementary school education for kids, advanced professional training for older children, helping to find employment for parents, a safe place for women and girls, Turkey has become the humanitarian role model.

But it is obvious that even such a welcoming-by-definition nation will at one point reach absorption capacity limits. Hence it would be logical if other countries step in and share the burden by accepting new arrivals. Countries in the region did just that, with Jordan another remarkably positive case in point.

On to Europe, one does not need a master's degree in economics to figure out that countries in the European Union would be perfectly well placed financially and location-wise to step into the ring and open their hearts and minds, along with their borders, to people in distress. Granted, there were moments when Germany, in particular, paved the way for such a development; we all remember when Chancellor Angela Merkel famously said, "wir schaffen das," or "we will manage," when asked about the upcoming influx of refugees and migrants in 2015.

Not just Athens at fault

What made Brexit possible in the first place was the realization that Brussels was turning into a superstate headed by an unelected bureaucracy intent on deciding each and every issue of daily life for each and every citizen in the EU. That said, it is fair to assume when a migrant boat tries to enter EU waters and is pushed back – illegally – by coast guards of member states, soon thereafter Brussels is kept well informed. Even if it were only one such incident, although by now there have been far too many to go unnoticed, some observers on location for sure tell Brussels what just happened in Greece.

So what is the reality on the ground? Greece continues to get its way and even the agency in charge of patrolling the EU's external borders, FRONTEX, turns a blind eye. A neutral observer from outer space would in all likelihood come to the conclusion that illegal pushbacks are tolerated both by FRONTEX as well as Brussels.

Briefly moving on to Poland, Brussels is arguing that a Polish court deciding that parts of EU Law are not in conformity with national Polish law is enough reason to threaten taking Poland as such to the EU’s highest court, or at least suspending vital financial and structural aid.

The question on everyone’s mind is this: How come when another EU member state clearly violates human rights for which the EU is supposedly the hallmark, no one speaks up against those actions, and no one travels to Athens and tries to remedy the situation by informing Greece that this is not an accepted way of dealing with people in need? Who explains to the Greek authorities the meaning of maritime law and that people in distress must be rescued, not further endangered?

Showing the proverbial political red card to Athens is not enough. The entire EU is being asked to step up and step in to stop those inhuman occurrences on the high seas.