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Finding Profits In Europe's Migrant Crisis

Syrian migrants planning to cross onto boats to the nearby Greek island of Kos, try on life jackets offered for sale outside a tourist shop in the coastal town of Bodrum, Turkey, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015. (Lefteris Pitarakis/AP)
Syrian migrants planning to cross onto boats to the nearby Greek island of Kos, try on life jackets offered for sale outside a tourist shop in the coastal town of Bodrum, Turkey, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2015. (Lefteris Pitarakis/AP)

Hungary today declared a state of emergency, sealing off its southern border with Serbia, in an effort to stop the migrants coming in. As the crisis continues, many in Europe and the United States are profiting from the influx of migrants, including shop owners and American pension funds.

A piece in The Wall Street Journal titled “The Growth of Refugee Inc.” reads:

In many ways, private companies are increasingly defining the European migration experience. In some cases, the companies see potential to win favor with a future group of European consumers, a welcome jolt amid the Continent’s economic doldrums. In other cases, they are stepping in to help provide services that governments can’t or won’t. At times they have provoked protests from advocacy groups who accuse them of cutting corners in order to profit from human misery.

Jason Bellini of The Wall Street Journal discusses this with Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd.

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