The Civil War in Syria and the Biggest Refugee Crisis

On September 2nd, 2015, a Turkish police officer discovered the body of two-year-old Alan Kurdi washed up on a shore. Alan was on a boat that sank on its way to the Greek island of Kos. This boat was carrying Syrian refugees. Photos of the boy were gruesome and shocking. It was on the front page of newspapers all around the world. The New York Times said that these photos “put a human face on the refugee crisis.” Unfortunately, this tragedy is not a special case.

Many refugees have died in an attempt to flee their war-ridden country. The Syrian civil war has created the largest refugee and displacement crisis of our time.

Most citizens of the United States can agree on the fact that these people are in need. The discourse begins when it comes to the how. Many questions and values come into question like compassion or what it means to be an American. Some believe that it is not the United States’ responsibility to help and some believe that the United States should open up its borders.

Some believe in monetary donations and some belief in military intervention. Each of these solutions is worth exploring but before doing so, it is important to understand the history of the crisis and put it into context.

The Syrian civil war began on March 15, 2011, and it can all be traced back to one event in the city of Deraa. 15 school children had written anti-government graffiti on a wall and as a punishment, were arrested and tortured.

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Local university students began peaceful protests in retaliation to this but they were not alone in their opposition. Many Syrians had already been getting frustrated with the government due to high unemployment rates, government officials’ misbehavior, and the lack of political freedom. The Syrian security forces cracked down hard on these individuals, further escalating the conflict. Any Arab Spring reforms in the area were crushed by armed repression. The opposition groups attempted to organize but could not unify.

In 2012, Syrians began to flee to temporary refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan. The next year, other countries began to join the fight. The United States, the United Kingdom, and France support the rebel groups while Iran, Iraq, and Russia support the government. Chemical attacks ordered by President Assad were also confirmed by the UN Human Rights Council. The refugee count went up to 2 million and people started to lose hope of returning to Syria. In 2014, humanitarian needs increase but aid groups started to find it harder to access the people in need. At this point, ¼ of the Syrian population is in Jordan which was putting stress on Jordan’s resources and systems. Simultaneously, ISIL aka ISIS saw this weakness in Syria as an opportunity, declared a caliphate in Syria and parts of Iraq, and started claiming territory in Syria. Some refugees started to move to European countries, which also induced much pressure. In 2016, there was a temporary ceasefire of hostilities to send aid to hard-to-reach populations such as civilians who got trapped in no man’s land when Jordan closed its borders. Despite multiple ceasefire attempts, the fighting persists.

Hundreds of thousands of people have died due to this conflict. There are 13.1 million people who require humanitarian assistance. The nation’s morale and infrastructure have been torn apart. Healthcare centers, hospitals, schools, utilities, water systems, and sanitation systems have all been damaged and destroyed. Their standard of living has been set back for decades (World Vision.) Many of the cities’ landmarks, historical structures, and religious spaces have all been reduced to rubble. The war has cut any social and business ties within communities. It has been seven years since the war began, and with no end in sight, a majority of the civilians have no option but to leave the country. The violence, collapsed infrastructure, and danger have become unbearable.

It is indisputable that there is no shortage of Syrians in need. For many Syrian children, all they have ever known is war. This has an extreme, negative effect on the mental, physical and social health of the future generation that will need to rebuild Syria. Children are vulnerable to diseases and malnutrition that are a result of poor sanitation. Many refugee children also have to work to support their families and it is often in unsafe or demeaning working conditions. Some of the children are even forced into becoming soldiers. Abuse and child marriage cases erupt in camps or settlements where the conditions are crowded. The children have no safe place to live, learn or play. Syrian families in and outside of Syria are worried about the future of the country as the conflict seems to have no resolution in sight. It has only accelerated the government committing nerve gas attacks despite international agreements for de-escalation and there is also a reasonable fear of a large-scale military confrontation on the horizon.

Having some comprehensive knowledge about the crisis, there is one question we must ask ourselves before proceeding with any solutions or actions: What is my responsibility to others?

Looking at things scientifically, Homo Sapiens (human beings) are by nature, social animals. People like to be around people. The survival of the human race depends on common connections and creating relationships based on those common connections. These relationships can flourish into whole families or on an even larger scale, communities. Relationships are quite complicated and exist in many different forms. There are business partnerships, romantic relationships, friendships, and kinships. Human survival depends on connections because people can help one another. Every day, tens, maybe even hundreds of people, need to wake up, live their lives, and do their part in the world, all so that you can do yours. There are so many invisible gears in motion. Conversely, you need to wake up, live your life and do your part in the world so that tens, maybe even hundreds of people can do theirs. We need others to exist and survive so that we may also exist and survive.

Being compassionate for those in need is ingrained in our DNA. It is an important and meaningful moral. It is something that comes to us naturally but can be suppressed when an individual lacks awareness of others. “All life is one continuum.” What benefits the well-being of others also benefit our well-being (Tremaine 1). Being compassionate ensures the continuance of the human race so it can be assumed then that we have an innate obligation to help one another in times of need. Helping others in distress is our human responsibility.

This complex issue is not so simple black and white. The world is entirely too big for every individual to go around helping every other individual. There is a multitude of countries with various borders, laws, governments, cultures, and agreements that are in place. There are many other morals and ethics to be considered outside of “helping one another.” The current situation has many layers that cannot be simplified to “right or wrong.” As a citizen of the United States, we have been witness to many foreign policy mistakes. Involvement in other countries is a sensitive subject and should be handled as such. There are many instances that the United States has intervened in events abroad under the guise of wanting to help. This topic and topics attached to this issue have been heavily debated in Congress and the argument has still not been entirely resolved.

There are also a large variety of people that have a stake in this issue. The refugees are the biggest stakeholders in this situation as any policy change or outcome directly affects their lives. The other big stakeholders are the government and citizens of countries that are admitting refugees. As has been stated before, the arrival of refugees does put some stress on a country’s resources, thus affecting the residents of that country. There are many moving factors and people involved that need to be taken into consideration when evaluating the best action to take moving forward.

There are a few different perspectives on whether and/or how the United States should move forward and there is varying reasoning behind each perspective. They can be organized into the following statements:

1. The United States should not take in Syrian refugees.

• Because there runs a risk of a terrorist posing as a refugee and entering the country.
• Because the security checks for immigration from that part of the country are difficult and that poses a security threat.
• Because our priorities should be elsewhere.

2. The United States should have direct involvement in Syria.

• Backing and funding the opposition groups will accelerate the war and derail the unjust government.
• Direct military involvement in Syria is necessary because of the terrorist presence there, specifically the suspected relationship between the Syrian government and ISIL.

3. The United States should take in (more) Syrian refugees.

• Because it reflects American values. America has always been a leader in times of crisis. Doing so will help people escape violence, starvation,   and homelessness.
• Because it strategically advances U.S. interests abroad.
• Because there is no risk in doing so since the screening process is secure.
• Because it is good for the economy.

Each position has its logical reasoning and valid emotions behind it. Those who do not agree with taking in Syrian refugees are scared. They worry that a terrorist will take advantage of the situation and get into the country. It is not as though this is an impossible scenario because a similar situation happened with the November 2015 Paris attacks. These people just want to protect their country and the people in it. Those who are proponents of military intervention in Syria see those actions as aiding the opposition groups. They believe that by backing the rebel groups with funding, intelligence, and resources, they can help end the war or that military strikes against the government will cause pressure the government towards reformation. Those who want to allow Syrian refugees into the country and even raise the refugee resettlement threshold want to help these displaced people because they feel it to be their moral responsibility. People have their respective opinions based on which values they hold in high regard.

As a student, values that are often emphasized when learning American History are liberty and equality. It is something that many citizens resonate with and it shows that hope for liberty and equality has and will always trump fear. Refugee resettlement reflects these American values which is one of many reasons I believe that the proper solution is to raise the refugee threshold.

Refugee resettlement also advances American interests abroad. Welcoming refugees helps our allies who are hosting more than their fair share. For example, 1 in 11 residents in Jordan is a refugee. In 2016, hosting refugees cost Jordan 25% of its annual state budget. If the United States refuses to do its part, we risk other countries closing their borders and forcing refugees to return to their home countries. This will cause catastrophic damage to regional stability and security, risking U.S. missions in that area.

Refugees are beneficial for the economy. Refugees tend to be entrepreneurs and business owners. They also become consumers and taxpayers who are contributing to economic growth and creating jobs. Entrepreneurship among refugees is almost 50% higher than among people born in the United States. The resettlement program is designed to help these refugees attain self-sufficiency and this journey is only expedited by a volunteer community and faith groups that help the refugees adapt to American customs and way of life.

Refugee resettlement is a safe process. The fear that a terrorist may sneak into the country posing as a refugee is understandable but irrational. The most difficult way to come to the United States is as a refugee. Of the millions of people who are refugees, only one percent have a chance to resettle in the United States. These applicants are handpicked by the Department of Homeland Security and screened by security agencies in an exhaustive process that takes two years.

The ceiling is supposed to be set by global humanitarian needs, the capacity of the U.S. resettlement program, and the country’s strategic interests. The current cap is not proportional to the level of humanitarian need.

America has always been a melting pot of diversity. It is a country that has a long history of people escaping violence, persecution, and injustice. Being a world power, the actions taken by the United States have a great effect internationally and our country must think beyond ourselves. In an attempt to protect the country, it is important not to forget the foundational values it was built on, what it means to be an American and what our global civic duty is.