External intervention leads to refugee crisis in Europe: French expert

Western countries' intervention in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East regions has caused instability and given rise to refugee crises, the head of French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) told Xinhua recently.

Most migrants arrived in Europe had been in a desperate situation in their own countries, so they hope to find an asylum and a sense of belonging, CNRS Director Catherine Withol de Wenden said.

The key to solving the current refugee crisis is to cooperate with countries of departure to address their own problems and take effective measures, she said.

"We should study the root of the crisis at this moment. The situation of thousands of deaths is unacceptable for Europe. We need to do something in the country of departure, not just in Europe," the expert said.

Although the European Union has taken a set of measures, the massive influx of migrants continues. So far in 2015, over 293,000 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe by sea, with more than 2,000 people dead in their attempts to cross the Mediterranean.

She also criticized countries like Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq for "doing nothing to take effective measures" to stop their citizens from risking their lives in the Mediterranean.

"More cooperation and dialogue with countries of departure are essential to solve the crisis. Technically it is possible. We already have many years of experience in handling this situation, though there are many difficulties ahead," she said.

Withol de Wenden also warned that "we should be careful in dealing with this problem, considering the country's economic situation, demographic conditions and other factors." Endi