Your report on European proposals on immigration (Report, 11 May) is presented in a way all too familiar in the anti-European press, not what I expected to see in the Guardian. The narrative you present is that the European commission, supported by Germany but fiercely resisted by David Cameron, is demanding a mandatory quota system to share refugees among member states. Britain and Theresa May lead the resistance.
This omits the essential point that it was the council of ministers that decided on 20 April “to reinforce the fight against trafficking of human beings, to strengthen EU action to save lives at sea as well as enhance support for countries on the front line, by sharing the resettlement of refugees”. The UK was represented by Philip Hammond, who as foreign secretary has the full authority of the government. The decision was reasonable, given that according to UN figures 219,000 refugees and migrants crossed the Mediterranean in 2014, and at least 3,500 lives were lost.
The Commission was given the difficult task of implementing the decision. No doubt the British government will make the best case it can that the burden should be borne by somebody else. The British id will expect no less, but some Guardian readers will hope that the British superego will also make itself heard.
Oliver Miles
Oxford
• People suffering trauma are often encouraged to focus on something beyond themselves. Politically, the next two years will be dominated by Europe. Those of a progressive, unionist and internationalist persuasion need to start working together to save our EU membership. Otherwise, the sleepwalk towards the exit will become unstoppable and the departure of Scotland from the UK will follow quickly afterwards. If the progressive and economic arguments for staying in the EU are listened to then maybe they will get a better hearing at the next general election too.
Rev John Piper
Ashton under Lyne, Greater Manchester
