Barbara Slaver writes:   Outgoing UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres made an impassioned plea Oct. 27 for a political resolution to the Syrian civil war that includes key stakeholders Russia and Iran, and he expressed fears about the imminent disappearance of most Christians from the Middle East.

Guterres — a former Portuguese prime minister — also harshly criticized the European Union for its failure to respond effectively to the exodus of asylum seekers, primarily from Syria.

Noting that the EU countries have a total population of 550 million and that those seeking refuge there this year number about 700,000, Guterres said, “We are talking of a problem that could be managed … but what happened was total chaos.” Europe, he said, “has to [get] its act together.”

Guterres also called for countries around the world to accept more Syrian refugees, noting that Brazil has recently offered to take 20,000.

Guterres criticized the notion that terrorists could take advantage of the refugee resettlement process to infiltrate the United States. “The most stupid thing would be to apply for resettlement in the US,” he said, given the level of scrutiny and background checks.

As for Europe, Guterres said would-be terrorists “will fly … they will come in a much more comfortable way” rather than risk their lives in the hands of human smugglers on rubber dinghies and on long treks through the European countryside.   Ethnic Cleansing in the Middle East