How do you protect people?

How do you protect people in times of war and upheaval? The German magazine DER SPIEGEL published an opinion piece by Maximilian Popp on this subject. I think the so called “first world” faces a huge problem with more and more displaced people from zones of war and upheaval seeking asylum and a better life. What can humanely be done? How can we suppose that a certain percentage of human beings can be just ignored and left to drown or be killed in zones of  terrible upheavals?

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/opinion-europe-should-protect-people-not-borders-a-1029594.html