Roger Fingas
Apple on Friday placed a link banner on its website, encouraging people to donate to the American Red Cross via iTunes to alleviate the ongoing migrant crisis spanning Europe and the Mediterranean.
Clicking on the link opens up iTunes, where people will see $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, and $200 donation tiers. Apple is promising that the whole of proceeds will go to charity.
Over 473,000 migrants have fled into Europe during 2015, including some 182,000 Syrians trying to escape their country's protracted civil war. Many of them are trying to reach Germany but have taken extreme measures to make the journey and/or circumvent border restrictions, particularly in Hungary, where the government can be actively hostile to immigration.
Apple regularly sets up iTunes donations for popular causes. In April for example the company arranged contributions to the American Red Cross following earthquakes in Nepal that killed over 3,000 people.
The Red Cross provides food, shelter, medical care, and other services in the wake of disasters. It relies on funds from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
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30 Comments
It seems to me the problem over there is the mix of genuine refugees mixed with far more opportunists wanting to emigrate to the west for a better life. I'd suggest all eligible men aged 18 to 35 be immediately recruited and trained in a new United Nations Force especially to return to help fight ISIS. Perhaps the opportunists would think twice and any genuine refugee would probably welcome the chance to fight for their own land with the full support of the west.
So if there is turmoil/revolution in your country....runaway! Don't try and make it a better place, just go to another country where the hard work has already been done. It is silly to risk your own life when hard working people in other countries are willing to have their tax dollars put a roof over your head and food on your table.
-kpluck
I have donated to the Red Cross many times, until I learned of their questionable spending practices and complete lack of transparency. They are under a congressional investigation right now.
On Charity Navigator they don't even show up on the list of Syrian refugee charitable organizations.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1523
It seems to me the problem over there is the mix of genuine refugees mixed with far more opportunists wanting to emigrate to the west for a better life. I'd suggest all eligible men aged 18 to 35 be immediately recruited and trained in a new United Nations Force especially to return to help fight ISIS. Perhaps the opportunists would think twice and any genuine refugee would probably welcome the chance to fight for their own land with the full support of the west.
That's the huge problem. Giving money doesn't help the situation. I'm sick of the media saying these are refugees. The majority of these people are opportunists. There is a reason why 80% of the so called refugees are men. Merkel is making the situation worse by accepting all these people.
Donate money so that europe can be turned into an Islamic republic? Uh, no thanks.