Syrian Refugee Crisis

Immigration
Andrea Almonte
English 2A
March 17, 2016

The Syrian refugee crisis is one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time
(Mercy Corps, 2016). By the end of 2016, the UN predicts there will be 4.7 million
Syrian refugees (BBC, 2016). Half of their country's population, which is more than 11
million people, have died or fled (BBC, 2016). The refugees are looking for places to go,
but the US is refusing to let Syrian refugees in, having fears that terrorists could be
hiding among them. The refugees are caught in an impossible situation, they can leave
not knowing what will happen or they can stay and face the danger of getting killed.

The Syrian refugee crisis started with peaceful pro-democracy protests against
the government in March of 2011 (Britannica, 2016). The protesters demanded an end
to the authoritarian practices of the Assad regime, which had been in place since
Assads father had been president in 1971 (Britannica, 2016). It escalated when the
government reacted using violence to suppress protests, using police, military and
paramilitary forces (Britannica, 2016). The war has continued to cause destruction
almost five years later with the Syrian security forces beating and killing protesters and
opening fire into crowds. The brutality of the police has caused more Syrians to join the
fight against them. A UN commission of inquiry has evidence that all parties to the
conflict have committed war crimes - including murder, torture, rape and enforced
disappearances. They have also been accused of using civilian suffering - such as
blocking access to food, water and health services through sieges - as a method of war
(BBC, 2016). Almost five years later, the civil war has killed over 320,000 people (Mercy
Corps, 2016).

More than half of the four million refugees are children (World Vision, 2016).
Their parents have to do whats best for their children, so most families decide to leave
once a family member is killed or their home is destroyed. Bombs destroy heavily
populated cities, and since their economy is shattered, they have no money for health
care (World Vision, 2016). The children living in Syria are at higher risk for dangers,
such as illness, abuse and exploitation. Millions of children have already been forced to
quit school (World Vision, 2016). Since the Syrian civil war began, 320,000 people
have been killed, including nearly 12,000 children. About 1.5 million people have been
wounded or permanently disabled, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights. The Syrian children have been injured, lost family members, missed years of
schooling and have witnessed violence and brutality daily.

Syrian refugees are not receiving basic human rights such as access to
affordable food and clean water, clean clothing, safe shelter and to free health
assistance for those who have been injured physically and mentally (Britannica, 2016).
They need a reliable source of clean water and food. About 70% of the population is
without access to adequate drinking water, one in three people are unable to meet their
basic food needs, and more than 2 million children are out of school, and four out of five
people live in poverty (BBC, 2016).The children need a safe environment to play and
receive an education. The U.N. childrens agency says the war reversed 10 years of
progress in education for Syrian children. The adults need a way to get money to
support their family, and if they are leaving for a long period of time, then they need

opportunities for a job. Most of all, they need to be safe, and they need a place to live
where their lives aren't in danger everyday.

The more than 4.5 million people that have fled Syria since the start of the
conflict have fled to Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey, and these countries have struggled to
cope with one of the largest refugee exoduses in recent history (BBC, 2016). Only about
10% of Syrian refugees that have left have found safety in Europe, which causes
political divisions as countries argue over sharing the burden. Some countries aren't
letting any refugees in, or very few, such as the United States. Of the millions of Syrian
refugees, America has taken in 2,290or 0.0005 percent of the total, because of their
fear that terrorists are hiding among them (Bremmer, 2015). Outright refusal to allow
Syrian refugees into the US is gaining steam among Republicans (Lind, 2016).
Republican presidential candidates want to limit immigration to only Christian refugees
or to end it completely, and several Republican governors are refusing openly to allow
any Syrian refugees to resettle into their states (Lind, 2016). The US also takes two
years to research and approve Syrian refugees before letting them in (Lind, 2016), so
the refugees don't have many options on where to go, but we should be focusing on
getting them someplace safe.

Bibliography:

Bremmer, I. (2015, November 30). These 5 Facts Explain Americas Shameful Reaction
to Syrian Refugees. Retrieved March 9, 2016, from http://time.com/4126371/
these-5-facts-explain-americas-shameful-reaction-to-syrian-refugees/
Lind, D. (2015, November 16). The US is so paranoid about Syrian refugees that its
letting barely any in. Retrieved March 9, 2016, from http://www.vox.com/
explainers/2015/11/16/9745318/syrian-refugees-us-isis
Mercy Corps Staff. (Updated 2016, February 29). Quick facts: What you need to know
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www.mercycorps.org/articles/iraq-jordan-lebanon-syria-turkey/quick-facts-whatyou-need-know-about-syria-crisis
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