---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the refugee problem is Europe is…"
description: "\"I think the refugee problem is Europe is vastly worse than we have in the United States.\" — Michael Leiter"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/michael-leiter-32796_europe_i-think-the-refugee-problem-is-europe-is_490604.jpg"
---

#  I think the refugee problem is Europe is vastly worse than…

![“I think the refugee problem is Europe is vastly worse than we have in the United States.” quote by Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/michael-leiter-32796_europe_i-think-the-refugee-problem-is-europe-is_490604.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/michael-leiter-32796_europe_i-think-the-refugee-problem-is-europe-is_490604.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/michael-leiter-32796_europe_i-think-the-refugee-problem-is-europe-is_490604.jpg)

> “I think the refugee problem is Europe is vastly worse than we have in the United States.”

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

European refugee challenges differ in scale and policy from U.S. issues.

**In simple terms:** Europe faces a larger refugee crisis than the U.S.

Key Takeaway

Compare policies.

Themes

politics refugee crisis comparative analysis

Mood

analytical concerned

Type

policy social commentary

When to use this quote

- humanitarian aid
- public opinion

Key Concepts

migration policy human rights

Questions to Reflect On

- How do policy frameworks affect outcomes?
- What lessons can the U.S. learn?

A Different Perspective

European systems differ; context matters.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [Immigration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigration/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Refugee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/refugee/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/)

## Related quotes

> [“When I think back on all the refugee camps I visited, all over the world, the people always asked for the same thing: books.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-schwalbe/when-i-think-back-on-all-the-refugee-camps-i-visited-all-over-the/)

[Will Schwalbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-schwalbe/)

> [We need a legal and political understanding of the right of the refugee, whereby no solution for one group produces a new class of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-butler/we-need-a-legal-and-political-understanding-of-the-right-of-the/)

[Judith Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-butler/)

> [That was not part of the U.N. resolution; it was not part of the mandate to go on to Baghdad and, frankly, if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-aspin/that-was-not-part-of-the-u-n-resolution-it-was-not-part-of-the/)

[Les Aspin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-aspin/)

> [“Many Americans shared his views. The new law was extremely popular and seemed to solve the nation’s “immigrant problem,” at least for the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/many-americans-shared-his-views-the-new-law-was-extremely-popular-and/)

[Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/)

> [There is this huge Roma problem in Europe. There are a lot of Romas who are discriminated against in countries like the Czech Republic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/there-is-this-huge-roma-problem-in-europe-there-are-a-lot-of-romas/)

[Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/)

> [I think that's our problem in Europe: we used to be a bit negative on everything. That's good sometimes, but when it's too much...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stromae/i-think-that-s-our-problem-in-europe-we-used-to-be-a-bit-negative-on/)

[Stromae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stromae/)

> [“The Palestinian refugee problem could have easily been solved in 1948, just as virtually every other refugee problem in the world has been; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-palestinian-refugee-problem-could-have-easily-been-solved-in-1948/)

[Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/)

> [The refugee problem is definitely a disaster for the entire region. Putin - the refugee problem in Chechnya was largely contained inside of Russia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-hill/the-refugee-problem-is-definitely-a-disaster-for-the-entire-region/)

[Fiona Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-hill/)

> [“The Arab world has done nothing to help the Palestinian refugees they created when they attacked Israel in 1948. It’s called the ‘Palestinian refugee…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigitte-gabriel/the-arab-world-has-done-nothing-to-help-the-palestinian-refugees-they/)

[Brigitte Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigitte-gabriel/)

> [I think the vetting we have for refugees is vastly better than the Europeans have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/i-think-the-vetting-we-have-for-refugees-is-vastly-better-than-the/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [I have been a long-time advocate for a just Arab-Israeli peace and for Palestinian refugees. Today, as you are aware, Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-noor-of-jordan/i-have-been-a-long-time-advocate-for-a-just-arab-israeli-peace-and/)

[Queen Noor of Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-noor-of-jordan/)

> [We don't have a refugee crisis in America; we have a racism crisis here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bennis/we-don-t-have-a-refugee-crisis-in-america-we-have-a-racism-crisis-here/)

Phyllis Bennis

> [It has been hard to muster the resources to support fledgling democracies and to intervene on behalf of the most desperate. The AIDS orphans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-has-been-hard-to-muster-the-resources-to-support-fledgling/)

[Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/)

> [The Chinese describe themselves as political refugees. Many base that claim on China's strict population laws, which allow them to have only one child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/the-chinese-describe-themselves-as-political-refugees-many-base-that/)

[Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/)

> [Europe is creating the flight of refugees that's tearing it apart politically, and leading rightwing nationalist parties to gain power to withdraw from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/europe-is-creating-the-flight-of-refugees-that-s-tearing-it-apart/)

[Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/)

## More by Michael Leiter

> [Banning the burkini doesn't produce terrorists. But it does make the people who are already alienated, who are already disenfranchised, I many cases, economically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/banning-the-burkini-doesn-t-produce-terrorists-but-it-does-make-the/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [ They \[ French\] still have an open border in Europe. And they have a Europe which doesn't have an integrated intelligence system like we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/they-french-still-have-an-open-border-in-europe-and-they-have-a/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [I think the vetting we have for refugees is vastly better than the Europeans have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/i-think-the-vetting-we-have-for-refugees-is-vastly-better-than-the/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [When you do have really tapped out resources that cover so many investigations, it can help you move through and discard some faster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/when-you-do-have-really-tapped-out-resources-that-cover-so-many/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [The language of North Korea is always bombastic. But what has really changed is the acceleration of their nuclear program, the likelihood that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/the-language-of-north-korea-is-always-bombastic-but-what-has-really/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [We need additional funding for more U.S. combat brigades in Europe. NATO needs to continue to modernize. It is starting to show with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/we-need-additional-funding-for-more-u-s-combat-brigades-in-europe/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [You have the intelligence front and the engagement front. On the intelligence front, the French are better than many of their European counterparts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/you-have-the-intelligence-front-and-the-engagement-front-on-the/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [We're not going to have a perfect batting average and it's important that Americans understand that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/we-re-not-going-to-have-a-perfect-batting-average-and-it-s-important/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [ISIS, in some cases like Paris, may actually try to direct. But what it's really trying to do is inspire. So its directed activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/isis-in-some-cases-like-paris-may-actually-try-to-direct-but-what-it/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [I think we have started accelerating over the past years. It's a modernization of NATO. It's at air, it's at sea, it's undersea, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/i-think-we-have-started-accelerating-over-the-past-years-it-s-a/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [We can't be French and Muslim at the same time. And that's exactly what ISIS wants that population to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/we-can-t-be-french-and-muslim-at-the-same-time-and-that-s-exactly/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [You've got a huge American population, you've got a small, small, small subset that is radicalized, and you have an even smaller subset that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/you-ve-got-a-huge-american-population-you-ve-got-a-small-small-small/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [I don't think bulk data collection was an enormous factor here, because generally, that deals with overseas calls to the United States. But what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/i-don-t-think-bulk-data-collection-was-an-enormous-factor-here/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

> [We have a Muslim population which is better off economically, better engaged, and less drawn to the fight in ISIS. But as we've seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/we-have-a-muslim-population-which-is-better-off-economically-better/)

[Michael Leiter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

[Explore all 15 Michael Leiter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/)

## More Europe quotes

> [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/)

[Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/)

> [Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one. I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/few-political-debates-have-been-as-divisive-as-the-european-one-i/)

[Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/)

> [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/)

[Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/)

> [Perhaps our own opposition to even the level of European integration we have now, let alone any more, is well known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/perhaps-our-own-opposition-to-even-the-level-of-european-integration/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [Liberalism is the philosophy for our time, because it does not try to conserve every tradition of the past, because it does not apply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/liberalism-is-the-philosophy-for-our-time-because-it-does-not-try-to/)

[Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/)

> [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [“Conservatism aims to maintain in working order the loyalties of the community to perceived truths and also to those truths which in their judgment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr-2/conservatism-aims-to-maintain-in-working-order-the-loyalties-of-the/)

[William F. Buckley Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr-2/)

> [I'm from Europe, England, and I actually lived in Italy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/i-m-from-europe-england-and-i-actually-lived-in-italy/)

[Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/)

> [Europe is creating the flight of refugees that's tearing it apart politically, and leading rightwing nationalist parties to gain power to withdraw from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/europe-is-creating-the-flight-of-refugees-that-s-tearing-it-apart/)

[Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/)

> [We witness anti-Semitic attacks in the heart of Europe. We hear anti-Semitic slanders in European media. We feel anti-Semitic hatred in the continent that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-shaked/we-witness-anti-semitic-attacks-in-the-heart-of-europe-we-hear-anti/)

[Ayelet Shaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-shaked/)

> [Conservatives are people who look at a tree and feel instinctively that it is more beautiful than anything they can name. But when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/conservatives-are-people-who-look-at-a-tree-and-feel-instinctively/)

[Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/)

> [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [A man accustomed to American food and American domestic cookery would not starve to death suddenly in Europe, but I think he would gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-man-accustomed-to-american-food-and-american-domestic-cookery-would/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [I became an MP in 2017 and have been around to watch Liberal Democrat party membership soar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/layla-moran/i-became-an-mp-in-2017-and-have-been-around-to-watch-liberal-democrat/)

[Layla Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/layla-moran/)

[Browse all 7,565 Europe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think the refugee problem is Europe is vastly worse than we have in the United States.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Leiter"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/i-think-the-refugee-problem-is-europe-is-vastly-worse-than-we-have-in/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Europe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/i-think-the-refugee-problem-is-europe-is-vastly-worse-than-we-have-in/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/michael-leiter-32796_europe_i-think-the-refugee-problem-is-europe-is_490604.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/michael-leiter-32796_europe_i-think-the-refugee-problem-is-europe-is_490604.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a9/michael-leiter-32796_europe_i-think-the-refugee-problem-is-europe-is_490604.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think the refugee problem is Europe is vastly worse than we have in the United States.” — Michael Leiter",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Michael Leiter",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-leiter/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think the refugee problem is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/i-think-the-refugee-problem-is-europe-is-vastly-worse-than-we-have-in/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-leiter/i-think-the-refugee-problem-is-europe-is-vastly-worse-than-we-have-in/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
